AAV gene therapy and a catheter device to stop ventricular tachycardia after a heart attack
Official title: Novel Gene Therapy, Techniques, and Devices to Prevent Ventricular Tachycardia
Funded at Rithim Biologics, INC. · NIH-11165093 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Uses AAV gene delivery and a minimally invasive catheter technique to fix dangerous heart electrical problems in people who have had a heart attack and are at risk for ventricular tachycardia.
Quick facts
| Grant type | Sbir 2 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Rithim Biologics, INC. NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Woodbine, United States) |
| Project start | August 15, 2024 |
| Project end | July 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $1,072,629 |
| NIH project number | 4R44HL172541-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11165093 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates would be people who have had a prior myocardial infarction and have scar‑related ventricular tachycardia or are judged at high risk for scar‑related VT.
✕Less likely to help
People whose arrhythmias are not caused by post‑MI scar (for example primary electrical disorders or atrial arrhythmias) or who cannot receive gene therapy or invasive catheter procedures would likely not benefit.
What this research studies
This project develops a way to ‘paint’ gene therapy onto the outer surface of the heart with a small catheter so therapeutic AAV vectors reach the scar border zone left after a heart attack. It targets KCNE3 and KCNE4 proteins that create uneven repolarization and can trigger reentrant ventricular tachycardia. The team is finalizing a prototype catheter that can deliver the therapy without open‑chest surgery and will test safety and effect in laboratory and animal experiments as a step toward human use. The work aims to turn these preclinical methods into a practical treatment pathway for patients with scar‑related VT.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could reduce or prevent life‑threatening post‑infarct ventricular tachycardia and lower sudden cardiac death risk.
How similar studies have gone: Prior work shows epicardial gene painting can deliver genes to heart tissue and that KCNE3/4 are linked to VT in preclinical models, but applying AAV epicardial delivery to prevent post‑MI ventricular tachycardia in patients is largely new.
Where this research is happening
-
Rithim Biologics, INC.
Woodbine, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Anderson, Ronald Lee — Rithim Biologics, INC.
- Study coordinator: Anderson, Ronald Lee
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Map heart tissue to guide VT ablation with AI help
A patient-oriented project aims to use AI-based mapping to better identify abnormal heart tissue responsible for ventricular tachycardia and guide safer, faster ablation.
-
Proton SBRT for refractory ventricular tachycardia with real-time 3D/4D imaging
A patient-facing study exploring a proton-based, noninvasive radiation therapy to treat stubborn VT using advanced 3D and 4D imaging to target the heart safely.
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Venous ethanol ablation to treat ischemic VT (VE-VT)
A new treatment approach uses ethanol delivered through heart veins to help stop dangerous heart rhythms in patients with previous heart damage.
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Novel gene therapy tools to prevent dangerous heart rhythms
A small grant supports testing gene-therapy methods to stop ventricular tachycardia after a heart attack, with the goal of helping people at risk of sudden heart rhythm problems.
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Radiation-guided ablation for ventricular tachycardia
This project tests a noninvasive radiation approach to ablate heart tissue in people with dangerous ventricular tachycardia to reduce the need for invasive procedures.
-
Low-Field MRI–Guided Robotic Catheter System for VT Ablation
A research project is testing a new low-field MRI–guided robotic catheter to improve treatment of ventricular tachycardia for patients with abnormal heart structure.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.