Pericardial delivery of therapeutic and diagnostic agents

A method of delivering a gene therapy agent to epicardial and pericardial tissue of a patient's heart, comprising:

• providing a device configured to be introduced through the patient's chest having a distal tip configured to pierce the pericardium of the patient's heart;
• pulling the pericardium away from the epicardium;
• piercing the pericardium with the distal tip of the device;
• positioning the distal tip of the device in the pericardial space;
• introducing the gene therapy agent through the distal tip into the pericardial space;
• and
• maintaining the gene therapy agent within the pericardial space for a sufficient period of time.

A gene therapy method for cells lining the pericardial space of a patient's heart comprising:

• a) harvesting epicardial or pericardial cells from the heart of a patient;
• b) genetically modifying the cells;
• c) selecting cells which have been successfully modified;
• d) delivering the selected cells into the pericardial space.

A method for treating a patient's heart, comprising:

• combining a gene therapy agent with a first compound, said first compound being a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier, to form thereby a mixture of said gene therapy agent and said first compound;
• injecting said mixture of said gene therapy agent and said first compound into the pericardial space of the patient's heart;
• and
• injecting into the pericardial space a second compound to enhance the viscosity of said mixture of said gene therapy agent and said first compound.