Intramyocardial magnetic targeting of cardiac myocytes

• Applicant: Privatdozent Dr. Kurt Pfannkuche
• Subject Area: Cardiac and Vascular Surgery
• Term: from 2018 to 2022
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 405831333

Transplantation of stem cell derived cardiac myocytes is a promising therapeutic approach. Present data demonstrate a minor engraftment and survival of transplanted cells pointing to a need to improve the transplantation efficiency as well as the short- and long-term engraftment of transplanted cells. In order to address the issue of poor transplantation efficiency we postulate strategies that have the potential to substantially increase the engraftment of transplanted cardiac myocytes in a murine model of cardiac cell replacement therapy. A precise and reliable quantification of transplanted cells retained in the target tissue is mandatory and will be performed by a well-established real-time-PCR based approach. Longitudinal analysis will be performed by luciferase imaging of transplanted cardiomyocytes.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants