Lehigh Valley Heart and Vascular Institute is participating in a new gene therapy trial designed to promote cardiac blood vessel growth and provide relief for those with chronic angina, or chest pain.

“This represents one of the most innovative types of research ongoing in cardiac care today,” said Ronald Freudenberger, MD, physician in chief at Lehigh Valley Heart and Vascular Institute. “Being involved on the ground floor of developing these types of novel therapies is part of our mission and I think the fact that we’ve been asked to participate recognizes our excellence in research and clinical care.”

Lehigh Valley Heart and Vascular Institute is one of just 16 sites participating in the study by XyloCor Therapeutics. For those with refractory angina - people who have exhausted their treatment options, such as medication, stents and bypass surgery - there may be hope in the form of a new gene therapy.

The gene therapy looks to prompt heart muscle cells to produce more of a naturally occurring protein called human vascular endothelial growth factor, or VEGF. According to XyloCor, the increased VEGF is designed to lead to the formation of new blood vessels in the heart that would bypass diseased blood vessels and increase blood flow.

The trial will see how well the heart creates new pathways for blood and the oxygen it carries to reach heart muscles, allowing the supply to meet the demand from exertion. When blood supply is inadequate and doesn’t match the demand from the heart, the result can be chest pain called angina. Blood supply is often not up to par because of coronary artery disease, the buildup of plaque inside blood vessels that can restrict blood flow.

In the trial, a heart surgeon injects the investigational gene therapy product directly into the heart muscle. It’s done by using an altered adenovirus that includes the VEGF gene. The altered adenovirus, also called a vector, doesn’t reproduce and isn’t harmful. The same adenovirus delivery method is used in other ways, including in some vaccines.

“The hope is that the patient’s own heart cells will create more VEGF in a process called gene transfer. It would be an incredible advance if we can show that it works,” said Freudenberger.