Better lives through research

INSTITUTE OF MOLECULAR CARDIOLOGY

• About the Institute
• Mission
• Research Faculty
• Cores
• Support and Collegiality
• Research Facilities
• List of all Clinical Trials

Heart failure is a major (and growing) health problem, affecting approximately 6 million Americans. The prognosis of these patients remains poor because there is currently no treatment that reverses the loss of heart muscle caused by heart attack. At the Institute of Molecular Cardiology (IMC), we have demonstrated that stem cells taken from the patient’s own heart are capable of repairing damage and regenerating new heart muscle — a major discovery that opens exciting therapeutic options and could revolutionize the practice of cardiology.

List of Current Studies for the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine

Phase I Study of Cardiac Stem Cells (SCIPIO)

Our landmark SCIPIO trial of adult cardiac stem cells in patients with heart failure was the first using stem cells from the patient’s own heart. The results, published in the prestigious medical journal The Lancet, show that administration of the patient’s own stem cells regenerates dead tissue and produces a dramatic improvement in heart function and functional capacity.

Next Studies of Stem Cells

To conclusively assess the potential of adult stem cells, we are preparing to launch additional trials as a member of a prestigious network supported by the National Institutes of Health. These trials will advance our quest to revolutionize the treatment of heart failure and offer hope to millions of patients who currently have few or no options. If successful, this would be one of the biggest advances ever in cardiovascular medicine.

Discoveries that Make a Difference

More than one million Americans have a heart attack each year, and many die or are permanently disabled. The Institute of Molecular Cardiology is pioneering research to alleviate the damage caused by heart attacks and improve the recovery of the heart. During the past two decades, our work has helped us understand the mechanism of this damage and has identified many promising treatments that may become available to patients.

Cardioprotection Network

The NIH has awarded the IMC a $9.56 million grant to lead a national effort to test promising cardioprotective therapies and identify those that are most effective.  With this support, we have joined a network of universities that are working to find a treatment that lessens the severity of heart attacks. This is a true paradigm shift, because for the first time, this basic research in heart disease is done with the same level
of rigor as a clinical trial.

Clinical Trials of Cardioprotection

Our work has demonstrated that two strategies —preconditioning and gene therapy — are extremely effective in limiting the damage during heart attacks in preclinical models. We are preparing to translate
these findings to the clinic. The applications of this research are far-reaching for the millions of patients who suffer heart attacks.

Recent news about the Institute of Molecular Medicine

ABC News on stem cell research: