Novel gene therapy tools to prevent dangerous heart rhythms
Official title: Novel Gene Therapy, Techniques, and Devices to Prevent Ventricular Tachycardia
Funded at Rithim Biologics, INC. · NIH-11411411 · Data updated 2026-11-12
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.
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 | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $768,857 |
| NIH project number | 5R44HL172541-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11411411 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Patients with a history of myocardial infarction who are at risk for VT may be eligible, pending device and safety assessments.
✕Less likely to help
Individuals without prior infarction or those not at risk for VT may not benefit from this approach.
What this research studies
This project aims to use AAV-based delivery and a catheter-based gene painting approach to normalize heart electrical signals in damaged heart tissue. By targeting specific potassium channel subunits involved in VT circuits, the work hopes to reduce malignant reentrant rhythms. The plan involves phase 1 experiments to finish developing the gene painting catheter and demonstrate safe, effective delivery to the heart tissue. If successful, these methods could lower the risk of VT in patients who have suffered a myocardial infarction.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, people with prior heart attack could have a lower risk of life-threatening ventricular tachycardia.
How similar studies have gone: Prior work shows feasibility of epicardial gene delivery and catheter-based gene painting, with promising early data in related models.
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
Wideband 3D heart imaging to guide VT ablation
A new imaging approach uses 3D wideband heart scans to plan and guide ablation for ventricular tachycardia patients.
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.