Sustained release of targeted cardiac therapy with a replenishable implanted epicardial reservoir

Nat Biomed Eng. 2018 Jun;2(6):416-428. doi: 10.1038/s41551-018-0247-5. Epub 2018 Jun 11.

Abstract

The clinical translation of regenerative therapy for the diseased heart, whether in the form of cells, macromolecules or small molecules, is hampered by several factors: the poor retention and short biological half-life of the therapeutic agent, the adverse side effects from systemic delivery, and difficulties with the administration of multiple doses. Here, we report the development and application of a therapeutic epicardial device that enables sustained and repeated administration of small molecules, macromolecules and cells directly to the epicardium via a polymer-based reservoir connected to a subcutaneous port. In a myocardial infarct rodent model, we show that repeated administration of cells over a four-week period using the epicardial reservoir provided functional benefits in ejection fraction, fractional shortening and stroke work, compared to a single injection of cells and to no treatment. The pre-clinical use of the therapeutic epicardial reservoir as a research model may enable insights into regenerative cardiac therapy, and assist the development of experimental therapies towards clinical use.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cell- and Tissue-Based Therapy / instrumentation*
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Equipment Design
  • Female
  • Myocardial Infarction / therapy
  • Pericardium* / physiology
  • Pericardium* / surgery
  • Prostheses and Implants*
  • Rats
  • Rats, Sprague-Dawley
  • Regenerative Medicine / instrumentation*