The Human Explanted Heart Program: A translational bridge for cardiovascular medicine

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Research
• Translational Medicine
• Pathology

Background:

• Preclinical cardiovascular disease models (in vitro and in vivo) often fail to fully replicate human disease complexity.
• Limitations in existing models impede the progression of cardiovascular research.
• Human heart tissue offers a more accurate representation of human cardiovascular pathophysiology.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish and describe the Human Explanted Heart Program (HELP) for comprehensive human heart disease evaluation.
• To create a valuable biospecimen repository for diverse research applications.
• To highlight the utility of explanted human hearts in translational cardiovascular research.

Main Methods:

• Integration of clinical, tissue, and molecular phenotyping within the HELP.
• Systematic collection and storage of human explanted heart biospecimens.
• Utilizing both diseased and non-failing human explanted hearts for comparative analysis.
• Implementing efficient procurement and bio-preservation techniques for analytical quality.

Main Results:

• Establishment of a comprehensive human heart tissue repository.
• Facilitation of genetic, molecular, cellular, and histological studies using HELP specimens.
• Provision of critical insights into human heart failure pathogenesis.
• Demonstration of the value of human explanted hearts in translational research.

Conclusions:

• The Human Explanted Heart Program (HELP) significantly enhances cardiovascular research by providing a robust model for human heart disease.
• Explanted human heart specimens are invaluable for understanding disease mechanisms and advancing translational research.
• Efficient bio-preservation ensures the high analytical quality of specimens for diverse research applications.