Heart failure is a leading cause of death worldwide, with approximately half of those deaths caused by ischemic heart disease (heart attacks). While survival rates have increased, millions of heart muscle cells are lost and replaced by scarring. This results in a less functional heart that can no longer beat properly. Our team is researching stem cell based therapies designed to prevent cardiac damage and regenerate injured heart tissue.
reNEW research
In the Heart Regeneration and Disease lab at reNEW Melbourne, we developed a new cellular therapy: human Engineered Heart Tissue from human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSC). When surgically implanted onto failing hearts of mice or pigs, these engineered “patches” restore heart function and promote engraftment of both human and host cells, as shown in this image. With the support of reNEW, this research has transitioned into a new spinout company, Ibnova Therapeutics based in the BioInnovation Institute in Copenhagen.
Image description
This image shows a hiPSC multicellular engineered heart patch sutured onto the outer wall of a failing mouse heart.
Credits
Rebecca Sutton, Research Assistant, Porrello Lab, reNEW Melbourne.
