In a landmark moment for both the treatment of heart disease and philanthropic support, The Marcus Foundation has awarded the head of USC Stem Cell Center, Chuck Murry, MD, PhD, $28.7 million to advance a clinical trial testing a stem cell-based therapy designed to regenerate damaged tissue after a heart attack.

The work that Chuck Murry and his team are doing could transform the entire field of regenerative cardiology."

Jonathan Simons, Chief Science Officer of The Marcus Foundation

The Foundation was started by entrepreneur and philanthropist Bernie Marcus, co-founder of The Home Depot and early signatory to the Giving Pledge. 

Murry and his team have been working for three decades to perfect the bench to bedside biotechnology to make repair of the heart muscle possible. The weakened muscle is one of the biggest challenges after heart attacks: because the heart is one of our least regenerative organs, once the muscle is damaged, it cannot repair itself. This often-fatal damage impairs the heart's blood-pumping ability, which greatly impacts a patient's health and quality of life. Until now, cardiovascular medicine has largely focused on supporting a weakened heart without having the means to restore it to health. 

"Murry and his team have advanced gene edited cellular therapy to the point that the time is right to support cells as living medicine in this new form of treatment for myocardial infarction" said Dr. Simons. The award is the largest The Marcus Foundation has ever given to USC and one of the largest it has given to academic medicine. 

The large, research "genius award" will also support a parallel track of discovery research on the immune response to cell transplantation. Researchers will investigate how immune cells respond to transplanted cells with the goal of developing approaches that could reduce or eliminate the need for immunosuppressive drugs in patients receiving regenerative cardiac therapies. 

The pioneering trial will begin at Keck Hospital in 2027 in partnership with the USC Cardiac and Vascular Institute, with a second site at the University of Washington, where some of this technology originated.

"This upcoming clinical trial has the potential to change and save the lives of millions of patients struggling with the downstream effects of damaged heart tissue after a heart attack," said Keck School of Medicine Dean Carolyn Meltzer. "The Marcus Foundation is now an integral part of this lifesaving mission."

"The Marcus Foundation leads the way when it comes to supporting visionary science that will have a positive impact on society," said USC President Beong-Soo Kim. "This award also lays the groundwork for additional research opportunities as we accelerate the development of more advanced cellular therapies to save lives." 

The 2027 trial will include a small cohort of about 18 patients who have experienced a severe heart attack, resulting in significant damage to the heart muscle. Designed primarily to assess safety and feasibility, the study will evaluate delivery of stem-cell-derived heart muscle cells into damaged regions of the heart. Researchers will also explore early signs of biological activity and potential improvements in cardiac function, while closely monitoring participants throughout their recovery and follow up care.

Without this type of regenerative treatment, many of these patients might not survive the severe damage following a heart attack, and many of those who do manage to leave the hospital would have difficulty with the simplest daily tasks, such as walking to the mailbox. The hope of this new therapeutic is to return these patients to their health status before they experienced a heart attack, ideally with few, if any, limitations on their daily activities.

"These cells are a new kind of living medicine," said Murry. "Once they are injected into the heart, they become active in repairing and synchronizing with the rest of the heart muscle. We've been working on this for more than two decades and are now at the threshold of a breakthrough in cardiology."

The implications of this treatment could have broad reach beyond this trial and this clinical population. "Our renowned researchers and clinicians will have yet one more powerful therapy to improve the heart health of our patients and help further establish Keck Hospital of USC as the regional destination for cardiovascular care," said Dr. Steven D. Shapiro, Senior Vice President of Health Affairs at USC.