By Youngjae Chun, Edited by Kat Procyk
Photo courtesy of Professor Youngjae Chun’s lab.
A multidisciplinary research team led by Stephen Emery, professor of obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive sciences at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and director of the Center for Innovative Fetal Intervention at UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital, and Youngjae Chun, professor of industrial engineering at Pitt’s Swanson School of Engineering, received a $2.3 million Blueprint MedTech grant from the National Institutes of Health to fast-track the development and clinical translation of a minimally invasive, low-profile fetal shunt for treating fetal hydrocephalus.
The condition, associated with a buildup of cerebrospinal fluid in or around the brain, is often referred to as “water on the brain.”
The new device will normalize intracranial pressure before birth and address significant risks associated with untreated fetal hydrocephalus, like seizures, developmental delays and vision problems caused by ischemic injury (tissue damage that occurs when blood flow to a part of the body is reduced or stopped, depriving tissue of oxygen) and axonal shear (a traumatic brain injury when the brain’s nerve fibers are torn).
“This support is critical for translating a pioneering treatment that could improve the lives of thousands of newborns with hydrocephalus,” Chun said. “Currently, no shunting techniques are designed specifically for use in the fetus, making this effort timely and impactful.”
The award will also provide U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulatory guidance, commercialization resources and strategic support to drive the project from prototype optimization through regulatory milestones and market readiness.
Emery and Chun will collaborate with researchers from Duke University, Magee-Womens Research Institute, and Medical Device Regulatory Solutions, LLC for the project.
(From left to right) Youngjae Chun, professor of industrial engineering at Pitt; Stephen Emery, professor of obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive sciences at Pitt; Stephanie Greene, chief of pediatric neurosurgery at Duke University; and Nika Hazen, research operations coordinator at Magee-Womens Research Institute, are the research team developing the shunt.