Heart & Vascular Research

Below is just a short list of some of the recent clinical research completed or under way at UChicago Medicine:

• Our heart transplant team participated in a clinical trial of the Transmedic Organ Care System, a device that is designed to keep the heart beating while in transit for transplantation, resulting in better preservation of donor hearts.
• Electrophysiologists here are investigating several types of new implantable devices to treat heart rhythm problems, including a totally subcutaneous implantable defibrillator to prevent sudden cardiac death, cardiac resynchronization therapy for patients with heart failure, and the use of remote monitoring devices.
• Interventional cardiologists are studying several aspects of treatment for coronary artery disease and peripheral vascular disease, as well as devices for closure of heart defects. New anti-coagulant drugs, drug eluting stents and devices to prevent blood clots in patients with atrial fibrillation who take warfarin are under investigation.
• University of Chicago plastic surgeons and heart surgeons worked together to develop and refine a technique — called sternal plating — that reinforces the sternum after heart surgery. Since adopting this technique to close the sternum in high-risk patients, our surgeons have observed a dramatic decrease in pain, length of time to resume normal activity and the incidence of post-operative infections.
• Our interventional cardiologists and electrophysiologists use the Stereotaxis magnetically guided system to move catheters through the heart with no risk of puncture and with the advantage of controlled motion provided by a GPS-like navigation system.
• Heart failure specialists are investigating new strategies to detect heart transplant rejection, new drugs for heart failure and devices that continuously monitor heart pressures for better management of heart failure on an outpatient basis.
• Several cardiac ablation trials for arrhythmias are under way, looking into alternative ablation tools such as cryoenergy, irrigated ablation electrodes, and bipolar ablation catheters to treat atrial fibrillation.
• We are one of 17 U.S. institutions participating in a clinical trial of the HeartWare HVAD left ventricular assist device (LVAD). This next generation LVAD provides heart failure patients with up to 10 liters of additional blood flow, restoring quality of life in most cases. The implantable device is only the size of a D-cell battery.
• Cardiac imaging experts are applying the latest imaging technologies, including three-dimensional echocardiography, cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and 256-slice CT angiography — to assess heart function and to better plan treatment.
• University of Chicago heart surgeons pioneered new approaches to reducing the risk for kidney injury during surgery, including refining techniques for perioperative hemofiltration. Our cardiac surgery team is participating in a phase I clinical trial to determine the safety and efficacy of a new drug and its ability to reduce the incidence of acute kidney injury following cardiac surgery.
• Our nationally known pulmonary hypertension specialists are beginning new early phase drug development trials to treat the condition, including trials of cancer drugs to treat pulmonary hypertension. This work exploits similarities between cancer and pulmonary hypertension to accelerate testing of new drugs.
• We are currently the only clinical site implanting the CardioPlus, the first implantable intra-aortic balloon pump. It is the only ventricular assist device that can be used on demand by the patient, which increases its potential application for the treatment of heart failure.
•  Our heart experts conduct outcomes and quality of care research to continuously evaluate and refine patient care.

Basic science research looks into fundamental questions, such as observing disease at a molecular level or understanding how cells communicate with each other. Knowledge gained from basic science research is essential to the development of new treatments. At the University of Chicago, scientists conducting studies in cardiac basic science research collaborate with other scientists on campus and elsewhere to speed scientific progress. Some examples of this research include the following:

• Mahesh Gupta, PhD, is looking into the molecular basis of heart failure, particularly the role of chromatin remodeling enzymes in gene dysregulation, contractile dysfunction and cell death during heart failure.
• Dorothy Hanck, PhD, is focusing on cardiac ion channel biophysics, physiology and pharmacology with the goal of identifying heart-specific characteristics and their structural basis that can be used to direct drug design.
• Jim Holaska, PhD, is a basic scientist studying muscle disease and has identified the role of the nucleus in causing some forms of heart and skeletal muscle disease.

The University of Chicago Medicine is constantly improving to continue to be a world leader in patient care, and our nationally recognized heart and vascular physicians make unparalleled patient care their priority goal. Some recently advancement in technology and care include: 

• We offer one of the most comprehensive and innovative robotic approaches available anywhere in the world, including the multi-vessel totally endoscopic coronary artery bypass surgery (TECAB). Our team has performed more than 1,300 robotic cardiac surgeries, including more than 700 TECABs. The team performs more than 200 robotic heart surgeries a year.
• Our state-of-the-art Arrhythmia Technology Suite offers minimally invasive, precise imaging and magnetic navigation for the treatment of irregular heartbeats, allowing us to perform procedures not offered elsewhere, including epi/endo robotic-assisted ablation.
• We have one of the highest transplant rates in the country, which equates to patients spending less time on a waiting list. Additionally, patients who receive a heart transplant at UChicago Medicine have a 29 percent improved chance of survival.
• We recently developed and participated in the first-in-human trial for NuPulse intra-Vascular Assist System (iVAS) — a novel, minimally invasive heart assist device – reinforcing our legacy as a leader in cardiovascular research.
• Our expert, multidisciplinary transplant team has extensive experience performing complex heart, heart-lung and multi-organ transplants. UChicago Medicine was the first in the world to perform a successful heart-kidney-liver transplant.
• We are internationally recognized for treating valve and structural heart conditions. Our physicians have pioneered novel, minimally invasive transcatheter techniques for a variety of structural heart disorders, and our robotic surgery program performs more procedures than any other in the United States.
• Our renowned Center for Aortic Disease provides patients across the country with comprehensive and coordinated care for aortic conditions using the latest, state-of-the-art treatments.
• We are one of only two Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) Centers of Excellence in Illinois.