Results from rhesus macaques provide solid ground for a first-in-human investigation of heart repair with stem cell-derived engineered heart muscle. The study is a milestone for the clinical application of the “heart patch” as an innovative treatment option for patients with advanced heart failure at the University Medical Center Göttingen (UMG) and University Medical Center Schleswig-Hostein, Canpus Lübeck (UKSH). The study is part of the translational research strategy of the German Center for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK). The results have been published in Nature.

The BioVAT-HF-DZHK20 clinical trial is currently investigating a unique approach to address the unmet medical need in patients with advanced heart failure. Implantation of a tissue engineered heart patch, called engineered heart muscle (EHM), is developed to repair the failing heart.