Georg-august-universitaet Goettingen Stiftung Oeffentlichen Rechts, Universitaetsmedizin

Georg-august-universitaet Goettingen Stiftung Oeffentlichen Rechts, Universitaesmedizin

Wolfram Hubertus Zimmermann

PohLoong Soong

The present invention relates to a pouch-like structure useful for mechanically preventing distension and/or resisting dilation of the heart and for supporting the hearts function by controllable and paracrine support of a failing heart in a mammal. The pouch-like structure is composed at least partly of engineered tissue comprising genetically engineered cells, such as genetically engineered cells other than cardiac myocytes whereby said genetically engineered cells contain a gene encoding a paracrine factor, said gene encoding the paracrine factor being under control of an inducible promoter system or a heterologous promoter system. Further, the present invention relates to a method for the preparation of the pouch-like structure for therapeutic, disease modelling, and drug development applications. In addition, the present invention relates to cells other than cardiac myocytes for use in the preparation of the pouch-like structure as described herein.

Pouch-like structure with paracrine activity and method for its preparation

A pouch-like structure useful for mechanically preventing distension and/or resisting dilation of the heart and for supporting the hearts function by controllable and paracrine support of a failing heart in a mammal, is composed at least partly of engineered tissue with genetically engineered cells other than cardiac myocytes. The genetically engineered cells contain a gene encoding a paracrine factor which is under control of an inducible promoter system or a heterologous promoter system. The preparation of the pouch-like structure may be used for therapeutic, disease modelling, and drug development applications.

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Goettingen, Germany

Wolfram Hubertus Zimmermann