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Project Director: Eduardo Marbán, M.D., Ph.D.
Co-Investigators: Joshua Hare, M.D., Henry Halperin, M.D., Albert C. Lardo, Ph.D.
Associates: J. Kevin Donahue, M.D., Alan W. Heldman, M.D.
Ventricular arrhythmias remain the major cause of sudden death in the Western world. The prevailing practice of simply implanting defibrillators in patients at risk has de-emphasized the potentially powerful translation of biological knowledge into new therapeutic approaches for rhythm disorders. Through the exploration of novel biologically-based therapies and their effect on cardiac function and structure, Project 1 seeks to prevent arrhythmias and sudden death in post-myocardial infarction (MI) patients. The cell and gene therapies and improved delivery methods will combine discovery and validation work in animal models with the prospect of prompt translation into practice. Work involving stem cell therapy will be targeted to limiting or reversing post-MI ventricular dysfunction. Gene therapy approaches will be used to modify slow conduction in the heart. Such work should pave the way for superior alternatives to targeted ablation and/or implantable cardioverter-defibrillators. In order to render feasible the use of gene and cell therapies, the development of precise and effective delivery methods are essential. Here we ultimately seek to refine, validate and implement novel delivery methods using injection catheters compatible with magnetic resonance fields, and to test their utility in stem cell delivery and targeted gene therapy. | |
