Category:

Novel Therapeutic

Description:

Coronary heart disease is the leading cause of death in the America. While one American death in every five annually is caused by coronary heart disease, treatment options remain limited.  Once injury to the heart occurs, the cardiac healing process is dominated by scar tissue formation. This leads to a diminished function of the damaged heart as a blood pump and increased risk of cardiac arrhythmia and sudden death. The exciting prospect of this licensing opportunity is that it is a potential therapy that would encourage the regeneration of heart muscle rather than scar tissue following a heart attack. A successful and safe approach to regenerative repair of the heart would truly revolutionize the standard of care for patients suffering from coronary heart disease.

This invention involves an innovative new strategy for modifying the behavior of stem cells in vivo to promote re-growth and/or repopulation of myocytes following heart attack.  As part of this novel approach, researchers at the Medical University of South Carolina have found that by blocking a key protein, scars that normally form in place of damaged myocardial tissue are reduced and, in turn, there is: (i) infiltration of new myocytes, (ii) proliferation of resident myocytes, and/or (iii) differentiation of stem cells into new myocytes (Figure).  This is the first known technology for regenerating new myocytes in vivo following a heart attack, and as such, is the only currently available treatment for enhancing and maintaining cardiac integrity, function, and viability following cardiac injury.

Potential Applications:

• Differentiation, proliferation, and repopulation of cardiac scars with NEW functional myocytes
• Novel therapy for patients post heart-attack

Inventor(s):

Dr. R. Norris; Dr. R.G. Gourdie; Mr. M. P. O’Quinn; and Dr. R. R. Markwald

Patent Status:

Availability:

Available for:
exclusive
non-exclusive
licensing.

Technology Status:

In vivo animal model

Licensing Contact:

Ryan N. Fiorini, Ph.D., MBA, MHA
MUSC Foundation for Research Development
PO Box 250828
Charleston, SC 29425
843.876.1906
fiorinir@musc.edu