WaNPRC researchers have made a promising discovery in the fight against heart disease. Cardiologist and researcher Dr. Chuck Murry of WaNPRC’s Gene Therapy and Regenerative Medicine unit is leading an effort using special cells called heart muscle cardiomyocytes to address cardiac muscle damage.
Dr. Murry’s team has made a significant breakthrough in collaboration with Sana Biotechnology. They successfully changed induced pluripotent stem cell cardiomyocytes (iPSC-CM) in the lab and transplanted or “grafted” them into two rhesus monkeys with heart damage. These new cells survived and started integrating with the heart muscle cells responsible for contracting and pumping blood. This is a big deal because it means the body did not reject the new cells, which is a frequent problem with transplants.
This pursuit has been a personal one for Murry. His mother, Donna, passed away in 2014 after suffering multiple heart attacks. “She is the kind of person we would like to have helped,” he told the Seattle Times in 2014.
Another challenge with using these new heart cells is that they sometimes cause irregular heartbeats. The team has also found a way to fix this problem by making changes to the genetic makeup of the cells. Noninvasive PET imaging has shown that the transplanted iPSC-CMs remained stable and functional in the heart for periods of 6 and 12 months without suppressing the immune system. This persistence without rejection indicates that the cells integrated well with the heart tissue and continued to perform their intended functions over these extended periods.
These findings mark a significant step forward in the treatment of heart disease and bring hope to millions of patients. While human trials are still to come, this research lays the groundwork for a future where damaged hearts can be effectively repaired.
Dr. Murry recently began his appointment as head of USC’s Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine.
First Authors: Yongshun Lin Noriko Sato, Sogun Hong, and Kenta Nakamura. Senior Authors: Charles Murry (pictured), Manfred Boehm, and Cynthia Dunbar. Cell Stem Cell | DOI: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38843830/