Program In Cardiovascular Regenerative Medicine

The Feinberg Cardiovascular Research Institute is home to innovative investigators committed to bridging basic and clinical sciences. Our Institute's overarching focus is translating the understanding of fundamental cardiac disease mechanisms into new treatment options for patients.  The Program in Cardiovascular Regenerative Medicine at Feinberg Cardiovascular Research Institute provides our researchers with access to the expertise and infrastructure necessary to advance basic research discoveries into clinical testing.

Cardiovascular Regenerative Medicine

Regenerative medicine is a rapidly developing field that seeks to regenerate damaged tissue in the body.  While conventional medicine attempts to improve the function of damaged tissue with medication or surgery, regenerative medicine seeks to grow new cardiac and vascular tissue in a number of ways.  Regenerative medicine approaches being investigated in our Cardiovascular Regenerative Medicine program include:

• Gene therapy, which attempts to increase the production of naturally occuring proteins or nucleic acids.  This approach relies on the insertion of genes into diseased cells and tissues to increase production of factors that can aid in tissue repair. These genes might include growth factors to stimulate repair of damaged blood vessels or “master control genes”, normally expressed during organ development, that can modulate multiple pathways of tissue repair.
• Autologous stem cell therapy, which attempts to regenerate and replenish tissue by increasing the supply of naturally occurring reparative cells at sites of damage.  This approach relies on the phenomenon of plasticity – autologous stem cells from one tissue generating specialized cells of another tissue.  An example is bone marrow stem cells inserted into diseased heart muscle resulting in regenerated, healthy cardiac muscle and blood vessels.

Douglas W. Losordo, MD, is Director of the Program in Cardiovascular Regenerative Medicine.  It is through his years of experience in basic and clinical research that new potential therapies are being developed and tested in clinical research trials for patients with advanced forms of cardiovascular disease, including:

Coronary Artery Disease (Angina)

Heart Failure

Vascular Disease (Critical Limb Ischemia)

Vascular Disease (Peripheral Artery Disease/Severe Intermittent Claudication)

Please follow the links above to find more information about clinical trials in Cardiovascular Regenerative Medicine.