Tampa General Researchers Develop Innovative Device That Expands Access to Heart Transplants

Electric synchronization device earned a $500,000 grant to continue research

TAMPA, Fla., July 24, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Tampa General Hospital (TGH) announced today the development of a new device that optimizes donor organs, making more donor hearts eligible for transplantation. Dr. Lucian Lozonschi, professor and director of the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery and Transplantation at the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, and Dr. Ruisheng Liu, professor in the Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Physiology in the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, received $500,000 for two years from the Interdisciplinary Research Award at the University of South Florida. The project was one of just six awarded grants this year and the largest sum from the program that promotes innovative research.

"Our goal is to expand access to world-class care and save more lives," said John Couris, president and CEO of Tampa General Hospital. "With innovative approaches to transplantation, we can extend the life of critical organs and improve patient outcomes. This grant will advance our research efforts, directly impacting the patients we serve."

The Synchronization Modulation Electric Field (SMEF) device, developed by Dr. Wei Chen, Liu and Lozonschi can not only maintain the Na/K pump functions but also generate adenosine triphosphate (ATP) molecules. The pump molecules can effectively work in situations with a limited or lack of ATP supply, such as in hypoxia.    

"The SMEF device has the potential to achieve optimal preservation and transport conditions by electrically inhibiting the ischemic damage in donor hearts and maintaining cellular functions, ultimately enhancing the success rates of heart transplantation," said Lozonschi.

"Results obtained from earlier studies are expected to have high translational significance and could be readily applied to patients. However, due to the high technical demand for heart transplantation in our models, it will be impossible to perform this kind of surgery without strong support from a world-class cardiac surgeon such as Dr. Lozonschi," said Liu. "We have a great opportunity to test this novel technique in a pre-clinical model. This is a typical example of synergistic collaboration between basic researchers and clinicians."

There is a national shortage of donor organs to meet the needs of patients experiencing heart failure. Donor organs must be transplanted within just five hours, and they degrade in transit due to a lack of blood supply.

The SMEF device protects donor hearts in a way that lengthens the time available for transit from five hours to more than eight. This novel approach would directly address the shortage of available hearts for donation by extending the time donor hearts are available. The device also improves the organ's function by protecting its cellular activity during transport.

"Drs. Lozonschi and Liu make an incredible team for this translational research project that is taking foundational bench science through the rigors of pre-clinical trials. This translational research represents an excellent example of the bench-to-bedside progress that can only be accomplished at academic health systems, such as ours," said Dr. Charles J. Lockwood, executive vice president of USF Health and dean of the Morsani College of Medicine.

Lockwood is also the executive vice president and chief academic officer of Tampa General Hospital.

Lozonschi and Liu were one of more than three dozen teams applying for the Interdisciplinary Research Award at the University of South Florida, with just $1.5 million in funding available to support the work. The team was one of just six to earn awards, and the highest award granted from the program.

ABOUT TAMPA GENERAL HOSPITAL
Tampa General Hospital, a 981-bed, not-for-profit, academic health system, is one of the largest hospitals in America and delivers world-class care as the region's only center for Level l trauma and comprehensive burn care. Tampa General Hospital is the highest-ranked hospital in the market in U.S. News & World Report's 2024-2025 Best Hospitals, with two medical specialties ranking among the top 20 in the nation and eight medical specialties ranking among the top 50 best hospital programs in the United States. Tampa General Hospital has been designated as a model of excellence by the 2022 Fortune/Merative 100 Top Hospitals list. The academic health system's commitment to growing and developing its team members is recognized by three prestigious Forbes magazine rankings – in the top 100 nationally in the 2024 America's Best Large Employers, the 2023 America's Best Employers for Women, and the top 25 in Florida in the 2023 America's Best Employers by State. Tampa General is the safety net hospital for the region, caring for everyone regardless of their ability to pay, and in fiscal year 2022, provided a net community benefit of approximately $240.3 million in the form of health care for underinsured patients, community education, and financial support to community health organizations in Tampa Bay. It is one of the nation's busiest adult solid organ transplant centers and is the primary teaching hospital for the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine. With five medical helicopters, Tampa General Hospital transports critically injured or ill patients from 23 surrounding counties to receive the advanced care they need. Tampa General houses a nationally accredited comprehensive stroke center, and its 32-bed Neuroscience, Intensive Care Unit is the largest on the West Coast of Florida. It also is home to the Muma Children's Hospital at TGH, the Jennifer Leigh Muma 82-bed neonatal intensive care unit, and a nationally accredited rehabilitation center. Tampa General Hospital's footprint includes TGH North which is comprised of three hospitals and several outpatient locations in Citrus and Hernando counties, 17 Tampa General Medical Group Primary Care offices, TGH Family Care Center Kennedy, TGH Outpatient Center, TGH Virtual Health, and 21 TGH Imaging outpatient radiology centers throughout Hillsborough, Pasco, Pinellas and Palm Beach counties. Tampa Bay area residents also receive world-class care from the TGH Urgent Care powered by Fast Track network of clinics. To see a medical care professional live anytime, anywhere on a smartphone, tablet or computer, visit Virtual Health | Tampa General Hospital (tgh.org). As one of the largest hospitals in the country, Tampa General Hospital is the first in Florida to partner with GE Healthcare and open a clinical command center that provides real-time situational awareness to improve and better coordinate patient care at a lower cost. For more information, go to www.tgh.org.

ABOUT USF HEALTH
USF Health's mission is to envision and implement the future of health. It is the partnership of the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, the College of Nursing, the College of Public Health, the Taneja College of Pharmacy, the School of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences, the Biomedical Sciences Graduate and Postdoctoral Programs, and USF Health's multispecialty physicians' group. The University of South Florida, a high-impact research university dedicated to student success and committed to community engagement, generates an annual economic impact of more than $6 billion. Through hundreds of millions of dollars in research activity each year, USF is a leader in solving global problems and improving lives. For more information, visit health.usf.edu.

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SOURCE Tampa General Hospital