Penn Surgeon Receives Grant to Develop Possible Heart Transplant Alternative
Charles Bridges, MD, ScD, associate professor of surgery at Penn and chief of cardiovascular surgery at Pennsylvania Hospital, has been awarded a $3 million grant from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute for his work in “molecular cardiac surgery,” a unique approach to gene therapy for heart failure. This approach could eventually prolong and enhance the quality of life for many patients with heart disease.
The four-year grant enables Dr. Bridges to expand upon his current research in large-animal “molecular cardiac surgery” (a term coined by Dr. Bridges). This surgical method could provide an alternative to both heart transplantation and the use of mechanical heart devices in some humans with end-stage heart failure. If successful, molecular cardiac surgery could help patients avoid the problems of rejection, infection, increased stroke risk and device failure that may occur with current heart surgery methods.
Gene therapy to treat heart failure
Dr. Bridges’ research focuses on using gene therapy to treat heart failure. Genes, which are carried on chromosomes, produce proteins that carry out all life functions. When genes are absent or defective, proteins are unable to carry out their normal functions, resulting in genetic disorders. In gene therapy, a functioning gene replaces an absent or faulty gene so the body can make the correct protein and eliminate the cause of a disease.
Dr. Bridges’ research was the first in the world to convincingly demonstrate that marker genes could be efficiently inserted into the majority of heart muscle cells in large animals. Dr. Bridges and his team use a novel, patent-pending procedure and specially designed hardware for the most efficient delivery of genes to heart muscle cells ever achieved in large animals. This preliminary success opens the door to developing new treatments for a variety of heart muscle diseases that cause heart failure.
“This grant [from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute] enables us to build on the advances my colleagues and I have been fortunate to achieve," says Dr. Bridges. "Molecular cardiac surgery offers genuine promise for eventually prolonging and enhancing the quality of life for many patients with heart disease."
With this grant, Dr. Bridges’ new study will focus on one of the transgene candidates with the most potential for healing the heart.
The Penn Cardiovascular Institute (CVI) was established in 2005 to promote transformational discoveries in cardiovascular biology and medicine. The Penn CVI bridges the expertise of scientists and clinicians across the University of Pennsylvania campus and health system by using multi-disciplinary disease-focused research programs. The Penn CVI creates a culture where patient care, research and education are seamlessly integrated.
For more information about please visit the Penn Cardiovascular Institute website.
To make an appointment with a Penn cardiovascular specialist, call 800-789-PENN (7366).
|
