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SynHeart

A BRIEF EXPLANATION

SynHeart develops cultured heart muscle tissue using synthetic, collagen-like materials instead of animal collagen. The goal: more stable, reproducible, and clinically transferable heart tissue—as the foundation for personalized therapies, reliable drug testing, and animal-free alternatives.

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A schematic representation of the project's objective, including a brief overview of the state of the art and the project's positive socioeconomic impacts.

Figure: Diagram of the SynHeart collaborative project (created by Evonik Operations GmbH)

Why is SynHeart needed?

Heart disease is one of the leading causes of death worldwide—particularly heart failure and genetic cardiomyopathies. Regenerative medicine offers great potential with cultured heart tissue, but today’s collagen-based models are difficult to reproduce and exhibit biological variability. SynHeart is therefore developing a synthetic-biohybrid heart muscle tissue that is more stable, scalable, and clinically transferable.

How is the project progressing?

  • Providing Synthetic Materials: Custom-Made Hydrogels Made from a Collagen-Like Peptide (Vecollan®) and Elastic Reinforcing Fibers
  • Establishing a 3D bioprinting process: precise, digitized printing that combines cells, hydrogel, and polymer structures
  • Building a Digital Twin: Continuous Monitoring of the Process and Retrospective Quality Comparison with Tissue Maturation
  • Test functionality: Measure contractility, structure, and molecular maturity, and compare them with existing collagen models
  • Developing a Prototype: A Durable Prototype for Heart Patches and Drug Testing

What's new about it?

SynHeart is the first to combine synthetic biomaterials, elastic thermoplastic reinforcement structures, and high-precision digital 3D bioprinting with a complete digital twin. This combination is designed to produce stable, scalable, and customizable heart tissue.

These developments are taking the form of clinically applicable cardiac patches, patient-specific models, and reliable, animal-free testing systems. In addition, reproducible synthetic materials promote sustainable production and provide a platform that can be adapted to other tissue models.

Who is participating?

Coordination, Material Development

Evonik Operations GmbH

Custom-made hydrogels made from a collagen-like peptide (Vecollan®) and elastic reinforcing fibers

Digitalization & Digital Twin

Technical University of Darmstadt

Establishment of a precise, digitized 3D bioprinting process monitored via a digital twin

Bioprinting Technology

Blackdrop, LLC

Establishment of a precise, digitized 3D bioprinting process monitored via a digital twin

Functionality Test

Göttingen University Medical Center

Assessment of contractility, structure, and molecular maturity; comparison with existing collagen models