Heart Failure MOD Animation
Exploring the Role of Contractility in Heart Failure
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Shifting Perspectives
Drug targeting of the molecular contractile mechanism—the sarcomere—is a novel approach to treating heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). This idea is gaining traction, as impaired contractility is seen as a central defect in HFrEF. However, while there is well established science underlying this approach, it isn’t widely known and is challenging to visualize clearly. AXS Studio took up this challenge and created this first-of-its-kind mechanism of disease animation about the role of contractility in heart failure.
Created for
Biopharmaceutical
client
Expertise
Ideation
Content development
Molecular visualization
Storyboarding
3D modelling
Animation
Innovative Visualization Leads to Understanding
Much is known about the events of an individual actin-myosin interaction: the cross-bridge cycle. Through a literature deep dive, we determined that heart failure can be characterized as a decrease in the number of strongly-bound myosin heads. This inspired a strong, didactic visual symbol to portray impaired contractility. We rigged the myosin heads to glow when bound strongly. This way, fewer heads glowing signifies impaired contractility. To depict this clearly and accurately, we built a detailed sarcomere model, using molecular structure data, at an unprecedented scale and level of realism. The result is truly striking.
Popular & Award Winning
The video has been used globally by three partnered pharmaceutical companies to increase awareness among clinicians. The medical communications sponsor deployed it to heart congresses (virtual and in-person), presentations, face-to-face meetings and as an online educational resource, calling the video “one of the most popular assets for our disease state education campaign.” It went on to win the Award of Excellence in Instructional Animation at the Association of Medical Illustrators annual meeting.
Looking Forward
We designed the disease awareness story and visual assets to be easily adapted to a future mechanism of action (MOA) animation—which has since been completed. The dynamic sarcomere model we created will continue to help illustrate and explain new contractility data as studies continue.
Created for: Biopharmaceutical Client
