Background

Myocardial infarction (MI) is commonly referred to as a heart attack. This describes the death (infarction) of a part of the heart muscle due to a sudden inadequacy of blood supply. The most frequent cause of MI by far is coronary artery disease (atherosclerotic heart disease). Coronary artery disease is the most common disease in the world, more common than cancer. Less often, MI may result from other causes of reduced myocardial blood flow, such as severe low blood pressure (hypotension) or prolonged spasm of a coronary artery (vasospasm). Myocardial ischemia that is mild to moderate in degree, and/or of brief duration, may cause chest pain (angina pectoris) but does not result in permanent tissue damage. Prolonged, severe myocardial ischemia results in tissue death which is a myocardial infarction.

The current evaluation of the market for heart failure as a result of ischaemic heart disease was approximately US$ 1.206 billion in 2016. The major clinical limitation of current surgical (bypass surgery, ventricular mechanical assist device and transplantation) and pharmacological (thrombolysis, glycoprotein lib/Illa inhibitors, beta-adrenergic blockers, vasodilators, ACE inhibitors) approaches do not necessarily enhance the recovery of cardiac functionality or prevent negative cardiac remodelling of non-contractible fibrotic scar tissue.

Technology Overview

The present invention addresses the need for a treatment of myocardial infarction that induces repair of cardiac muscle damaged by the infarct. The invention consists of delivery of an elastin-based hydrogel, into the coronary muscle damaged by an acute myocardial infarction which modulates the response of the damaged coronary muscle by limiting scarring, inducing positive remodelling of the damaged muscle, and/or restoring cardiac muscle function. The treatment involves administration of the hydrogel between five to seven days after the myocardial infarction, as the delayed administration has been found to lead to better functional recovery and remodelling of the affected cardiac muscle. The injectable hydrogel is suitable for delivery by epicardial injection.

: Ex vivo optimisation of hydrogel injection in the myocardium. The ELRs-based scaffold does not disrupt the integrity of either the vasculature structures or cardiomyocytes.
: GS-I lectin histochemistry highlights higher endothelial cells migration in the ischemic core of the infarct after the injection of the hydrogel.
: Lower fibrosis 21 days after the hydrogel injection imaged by Masson’s trichrome and EM imaging.

View recent publication:

Benefits

Minimal inflammatory reaction
Significant improvements in ventricular remodelling over a period of three weeks
Prevents the formation of fibrous scar tissue
Patent protected
Validated in large animal model (ovine)

Applications

Treatment of myocardial infarction

Opportunity

Development partners
Licensees
Spin out opportunity

Improved Treatment of Myocardial Infarction

Patents

IP Status

Seeking