Minimally invasive delivery of gene therapy to the heart
Minimally Invasive Local Delivery of Cardiac Gene Therapy
This project uses a small device and a special gel to deliver gene therapy directly to the heart for people with heart disease.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Corami Biotech INC. NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Memphis, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11255428 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
From your perspective, researchers are developing a small epicardial delivery device (EpiCor™) plus a tunable hydrogel (GelCor™) that together place and hold gene therapy on the outside of the heart. The gel slowly releases the therapeutic so a much lower dose can act on the heart while reducing exposure elsewhere in the body. The system is designed to be placed with a minimally invasive procedure instead of open-heart surgery. Early work includes laboratory and animal testing with the goal of advancing toward human treatments.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates would be people with specific cardiac conditions (for example certain forms of atrial fibrillation or other heart diseases targeted by the chosen gene therapy) who can undergo a minimally invasive epicardial procedure.
Not a fit: Patients without the targeted form of heart disease, those unable to tolerate a minimally invasive chest procedure, or populations excluded for safety reasons (for example pregnancy) may not benefit.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could enable safer, lower-dose heart-directed gene treatments with fewer side effects and lower overall cost.
How similar studies have performed: Related targeted delivery and hydrogel approaches have shown promise in animal studies, but human epicardial gene delivery is still early and not yet widely tested.
Where this research is happening
Memphis, United States
- Corami Biotech INC. — Memphis, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Roan, Esra — Corami Biotech INC.
- Study coordinator: Roan, Esra
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 below.