Claudia Bearzi
staff
Project
MyoCOV2
Human 3D myocardium-integrated competent coronary vessel to unveil epigenetic dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 infection on heart
Name
Human 3D myocardium-integrated competent coronary vessel to unveil epigenetic dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 infection on heart
Acronym
MyoCOV2
Location
Segrate
Start Date
2022
End Date
2026
Funder
National Research Council (CNR)
Partners
- "Sapienza" University of Rome, Rome, Italy (Prof. R. Rizzi) - Institute of Physical Chemistry - Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland (Dr M. Costantini) - Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel (Prof. D. Seliktar) - University of Milan (UNIMI), Milan, Italy (Prof. R. De Francesco) - Institute of Applied Sciences and Intelligent Systems “Eduardo Caianiello” (ISASI), National Research Council (CNR), Napoli, Italy (Dr M. Mutarelli)
The project investigates the effects of SARS-CoV-2 infection on the cardiovascular system. It aims to understand how the virus affects the different cell populations of the heart and blood vessels. To achieve this, the project uses an innovative three-dimensional model of vascularized cardiac tissue. This bioreactor recreates a microenvironment close to the physiological one, making it possible to reproduce viral circulation in vitro and to dynamically observe the processes of infection. The project integrates epigenomic, transcriptomic, and proteomic analyses to identify the molecular mechanisms activated by the virus. Particular attention is devoted to the cellular changes that may contribute to cardiac complications and forms of long COVID. The platform developed may also be useful for testing drugs and evaluating the safety of new therapeutic strategies.
Publications
- Maiullari F, et al. Modeling breast cancer dynamics through modulable small Vessel Environment Bioreactor (sVEB). Biomaterials (2025) 23:123441. doi: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2025.123441.
