Method for in vivo regulation of cardiac muscle contractility
AssigneeThe Regents of the University of California
InventorsWolfgang H. Dillman, Frank Giordano, Ruben Mestril
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Abstract
A method for regulating in vivo calcium transport in cardiac muscle of animals suffering from congestive heart failure is disclosed. According to the method, calcium ATPase activity (which decreases as congestive heart failure develops) and cardiac muscle contractility augmented by delivering a gene which operatively encodes the enzyme into the heart. Delivery systems, including but not limited to using adeno-associated viral vectors are provided. Methods for monitoring the expression and effect of the gene product on cardiac performance are also provided.
Claims6
A method for improving cardiac performance in a human subject suffering from heart failure comprising transducing the subject's heart with an adenoviral helper virus-free adeno-associated viral (AAV) vector encoding SERCA2a, wherein expression of a therapeutically effective amount of SERCA2 produces an increase from pre-transduction levels in the speed of systolic contraction or diastolic relaxation in the subject's heart for a period of at least 4 weeks or more, wherein an increase in either speed, or both, is indicative of an improvement of cardiac performance.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.