About The Love Hearts Appeal

Back in 2011, we set up The Love Hearts Appeal with our family and friends to give something back to GOSH after Catherine – now 34 - received a heart transplant at GOSH aged 15.

Over the last 13+ years, the appeal has been supporting cardiac projects at GOSH, raising hundreds of thousands of pounds towards research and other projects, such as a new cubicle in GOSH’s Cardiac Intensive Care Unit.

Now, via Great Ormond Street Hospital Charity (GOSH Charity), the Love Hearts Appeal has funded a new UK-first research study that aims to give better outcomes to children with a transplanted heart.

We can’t express how grateful we are to everyone who has come together to support us. Catherine and I were delighted to meet the research team at GOSH at the end of 2024 to hear about their new study, which aims to help more children like Catherine who have had a heart transplant.

About the research

The research, led by GOSH paediatric cardiologist, Professor Michael Burch (Catherine’s transplant doctor) and Professor of Human Transplant Immunology Professor Giovanna Lombardi at Kings College London (KCL), aims to prevent Cardiac Allograft Vasculopathy (CAV) — a life-threatening condition that can occur after a heart transplant. CAV is one of the main factors that can impact life expectancy and recovery and affects around half of patients within the first 10 years after a transplant.

The generous donations from the Love Hearts Appeal have provided a unique opportunity to support a PhD student, Dr Apoorva Aiyengar, to work on the project. Dr Aiyengar brings over 10 years of clinical expertise, including in paediatric cardiology and has been instrumental in gathering the required data and approvals for the trial. She said: “I’m so grateful to be given this opportunity to learn new skills in the lab and progress this crucial area of research. Without such generous donations from the Love Hearts Appeal, this wouldn’t have been possible.”

Cardiac Allograft Vasculopathy (CAV) happens when the body's immune system attacks the new heart post-transplant, causing inflammation and narrowing of the blood vessels. This reduces blood flow to the heart muscle, making it harder for the heart to function properly. Without enough oxygen and nutrients, the heart can weaken, which may lead to heart failure.

The upcoming study will focus on regulatory T-cells (T-regs), which are important for controlling the immune system and are produced by the thymus gland during childhood. When a child receives a heart transplant, the thymus, located near the heart, must be removed along with the heart during surgery. Instead of discarding the tissue, this research will explore the possibility of extracting T-reg cells from the thymus, growing them in the lab, and then returning them to the child's bloodstream. It is hoped that this could help restore balance to the child’s immune system and reduce the body's reaction to the transplanted heart, lowering the risk of complications like CAV.

Currently, immune-suppressing drugs are used to prevent the body from rejecting the new heart, but these drugs come with side effects and require frequent monitoring. The team hopes that T-reg therapy could eventually replace these drugs, leading to better outcomes and a higher quality of life for children after a heart transplant.

What's next?

Together, with the generosity of everyone who’s supported up till now and into the future, the Love Hearts Appeal can continue to help make an enormous difference to the lives of seriously ill children needing heart transplants.

We will always try to do what we can to help any child or family who have to walk that frightening path to transplant and beyond. Your support will continue to help fund exciting projects through GOSH Charity, aligned with the aims and wishes of the Love Hearts Appeal, helping more children and their families at a time they need it most.

In the event that GOSH Charity cannot use your donation as originally intended e.g. costs change, additional funds are received over and above the project's target, the needs of the hospital or patients change, or the project is no longer deliverable, GOSH Charity reserve the right to redirect funds for use the funds for other projects in accordance with the charitable objects of GOSH Charity.