VU Researchers Strive for Earlier Diagnosis of Dangerous Heart Defects in Children

Congenital heart diseases are among the most common health issues occurring in newborns. Some of them, particularly left-sided heart lesions, are very complicated and can severely obstruct the blood circulation and oxygen supply in the body, causing harm to various organs. Although the field of medicine is rapidly evolving, accurately diagnosing these conditions remains challenging.

Now, Vilnius University (VU) is launching IMPULSE (The Impact of Multi-System Precision Investigations in Left-Sided Heart Lesions), an international research project, intended to improve early diagnostics and the treatment of these dangerous congenital heart diseases.

The project’s team is striving to change the current state of affairs by taking advantage of multiomics, a cutting-edge approach, clinical data, and machine learning methods. Researchers are planning to analyse gene expression, DNA sequencing and epigenetic data in combination with a selection of clinical indicators. The aim is to identify new biomarkers and develop models that would allow medics to predict the progression of the illness more accurately and then customise treatment.

The anticipated benefits for patients are a crucial aspect of the project. An earlier and more accurate diagnosis will make prompt treatment possible, reduce the risk of complications and improve the quality of life for the children. The new biomarkers and prognostic models will pave the way for personalised medicine in this field.

‘With this project, we want to fundamentally improve early diagnostics and the assessment of complicated congenital heart diseases. By integrating advanced genetic, clinical and data-analysis methods, we hope to create solutions that will enable physicians to make accurate decisions more quickly and allow patients to receive more individualised care’, explained Assoc. Prof. Skaistė Sendžikaitė, a senior paediatric cardiologist at the VU Hospital Santaros Klinikos and the head of the project.

An interdisciplinary team of researchers and physicians from the VU’s Faculty of Medicine and the Santaros Klinikos are working on this project. International partners: KU Leuven (Belgium), Sant Joan de Déu Research Foundation (Spain), and Virgen del Rocío University Hospital (Spain) are also involved.

The project will run until the 30 of April 2029.

This project received funding from the Research Council of Lithuania under the umbrella of the Partnership Fostering a European Research Area for Health (ERA4Health) (GA N° 101095426 of the EU Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Programme.