Repairing damaged heart tissue to stop dangerous ventricular rhythms after ischemic heart damage
Official title: Biological substrate modification to suppress ventricular arrhythmias in a porcine model of chronic ischemic cardiomyopathy
Funded at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center · NIH-11168680 · Data updated 2026-11-12
The team is testing whether tiny particles from heart-derived cells can repair scarred heart tissue and stop life-threatening ventricular rhythms in people with ischemic cardiomyopathy.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Cedars-Sinai Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Los Angeles, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2022 |
| Project end | August 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $730,577 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HL164896-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11168680 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with ischemic cardiomyopathy and a history of ventricular arrhythmias or scars from prior heart attacks would be the most likely candidates for future versions of this therapy.
✕Less likely to help
Patients whose arrhythmias stem from inherited electrical disorders, non-ischemic cardiomyopathy, or who cannot undergo intracoronary procedures may not benefit from this specific approach.
What this research studies
Researchers are using a pig model that mimics human ischemic cardiomyopathy to map areas of slow electrical conduction that can trigger dangerous ventricular arrhythmias. They deliver exosomes released by cardiosphere-derived human heart cells into those mapped areas and compare effects to a control treatment. The project compares direct heart injections and new intracoronary delivery methods, and uses MRI-based electrical models and programmed stimulation to check for scar reduction and arrhythmia suppression. If these preclinical methods reduce slow conduction and arrhythmias in pigs, they could be adapted into clinical trials for patients.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could shrink scarred heart tissue, eliminate slow-conduction pathways, and reduce the risk of recurrent ventricular arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death.
How similar studies have gone: Prior preclinical work, including pig studies, showed that CDC-derived exosomes can reduce scar and suppress arrhythmias, but clinical testing in people remains limited and the intracoronary delivery approach is new.
Where this research is happening
-
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
Los Angeles, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Dawkins, James F. — Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Dawkins, James F.
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Biological treatment to reduce ventricular arrhythmias in a pig model of heart disease
Aims to test if delivering heart-cell–derived exosomes into damaged heart tissue can reduce scar and prevent dangerous ventricular rhythms in a porcine model of chronic ischemic cardiomyopathy.
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Correcting cardiac microdomains to reverse non-ischemic heart failure
A gene therapy approach targeting calcium-handling microdomains in the heart is being tested to restore heart function in a large animal model of non-ischemic cardiomyopathy.
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Better defining non-ischemic cardiomyopathy with functional mitral regurgitation to predict treatment outcomes
The team will use advanced heart MRI to better classify people with non-ischemic cardiomyopathy and functional mitral regurgitation so doctors can predict which treatments may work best.
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Improving heart function by correcting calcium handling in heart cells
This study is testing a new gene therapy that aims to fix how heart cells manage calcium in people with non-ischemic cardiomyopathy, using minipigs to see if improving a specific protein can help the heart work better and stay healthier.
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Improving treatment predictions for heart patients with mitral valve issues
This study is looking at how to better understand and treat heart problems in people with non-ischemic cardiomyopathy and leaky heart valves, using advanced imaging techniques to help doctors choose the best treatments for each patient.
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Improving heart tissue to prevent dangerous heart rhythms
This study is looking at a new way to help people with chronic heart issues by using tiny particles from heart cells to improve the heart's electrical signals and reduce scar tissue, making it safer and more effective for patients with dangerous heart rhythms.
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.