Scientists have used a gene therapy technique to create “biological pacemakers” from the heart’s own cells.
The procedure, tested on pigs, could be ready for human trials in three years. In future, it could help infants born with heart block – a condition in which heartbeats are disrupted.
Pacemakers are electronic devices that use electrical impulses to regulate heart beat.
The new research shows that unspecialised cells in the heart can be transformed into natural pacemakers with the addition of a gene called TBX18.
Lead scientist Eduardo Marbán, director of the Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute in Los Angeles, the US, said: “We have been able, for the first time, to create a biological pacemaker using minimally invasive methods and to show that this pacemaker supports the demands of daily life.
We have been able... to create a biological pacemaker using minimally invasive methods and to show that this pacemaker supports the demands of daily life
“We also are the first to reprogramme a heart cell in a living animal in order to effectively cure a disease.”
The study involved injecting TBX18 into pigs with complete heart block using a minimally invasive ‘keyhole’ procedure.
Two days later, treated pigs had significantly faster heartbeats than those that did not receive the gene. The stronger heart beats persisted for the duration of the two week-long study.
“Originally, we thought that biological pacemaker cells could be a temporary bridge therapy for patients who had an infection in the implanted pacemaker area,” said Marban.
“These results show us that with more research, we might be able to develop a long-lasting biological treatment for patients.”
Clinic director Eugenio Cingolani, a member of the Cedars-Sinai team, said: “Babies still in the womb cannot have a pacemaker, but we hope to work with foetal medicine specialists to create a life-saving catheter-based treatment for infants diagnosed with congenital heart block.
“It is possible that one day, we might be able to save lives by replacing hardware with an injection of genes.”
The research is published in the latest edition of the journal Science Translational Medicine. (PA)