According to the American Heart Association, over 10 million Americans do not respond to the many drugs available to treat high blood pressure. According to Penn State researcher Tao Zhou, using a bioelectronic device to deliver pulsed electricity to the body has shown promise as a treatment for drug-resistant hypertension patients. However, he pointed out that there are significant limitations to its practical application in patient care.

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The U.S. National Institutes of Health awarded Zhou, an assistant professor of engineering science and mechanics and biomedical engineering, a $1.83 million, five-year grant to create an electronic device that resembles soft, elastic tissue for the treatment of refractory high blood pressure.

Zhou, who is a co-hire with the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences and the Materials Research Institute as part of the Center for Neural Engineering, talked about the grant’s details in a Q&A with Penn State News.

QUESTION: What are the limitations of existing non-medication-based strategies that treat high blood pressure? 

Zhou: The practical implementation of existing technologies is hindered by their severe restrictions. They can cause inflammation and tissue damage since they are comprised of stiff materials and cannot stretch in response to the carotid artery wall’s cyclical expansion and contraction. Additionally, devices need to be sutured to the wall of the carotid artery, which causes additional harm to the tissue where they were placed. All things considered, these restrictions may eventually result in serious patient discomfort, disease, and device failure.

QUESTION: How does electrical stimulation of the neck reduce blood pressure in patients? 

Zhou: Electrical stimulation of relevant nerves on the neck can activate the baroreflex, which can modulate a patient’s blood pressure. 

QUESTION: What will be the key features of your device, and how will it benefit hypertension patients? 

Zhou: In order to better match the mechanical qualities of tissues and to lessen tissue damage and inflammation following implantation, we use hydrogel-based materials that are soft, flexible, and resilient. The entire device can deform as the artery wall expands and contracts due to its inherent stretchability, reducing carotid artery restriction and damage. In order to reduce the invasiveness of implanted devices and improve their safety, stability, and functioning, we will also incorporate a bioadhesive component into the suggested system. This will remove the necessity of suturing electrical devices to the walls of carotid arteries.

QUESTION: Who are your collaborators on the grant, and what will they contribute to this work? 

Zhou: Umar Farooq, an assistant professor of nephrology at Penn State College of Medicine, and John Bisognano, a clinical professor of internal medicine and cardiovascular medicine at the University of Michigan, are partners on the grant. They offer therapeutically pertinent views on this endeavor and are specialists in resistant hypertension.