RHESUS HEART REGENERATION WITH EMBRYONIC STEM CELLS

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This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. To address the major cause of death in the United States, heart disease, we will testing a new form of cell-based therapy to regenerate diseased or damaged myocardium. We aim to test the ability of rhesus embryonic stems (ES) cells to regenerate heart muscle following myocardial infarction. Utilizing the rhesus myocardial infarction model established in previous years, we have tested catheter based intracoronary artery delivery of rhesus embryonic stem cells post-reperfusion of the infarct related artery. Our pilot animal demonstrated significant no reflow phenomena with infusion of 2X107 rhesus ES cells resulting in obliteration of perfusion of the targeted coronary bed. This unanticipated result contributed to the formation of a large myocardial infarction. We were able to track Ferridex (small paramagnetic iron oxide) labeled cells using cardiac MRI imaging in living animals. A significant volume of cells remained in the myocardium based on MRI imaging and on pathology evaluation at 2 months. Based on these results we revised our cell delivery approach and piloted intramyocardial delivery of cells using direct intramural injection rather than intracoronary delivery. This research used WNPRC Animal Services; WNPRC Stem Cell resource; and WNPRC Pathology Services.