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Funding is needed for an innovative research programme, which is developing the use of artificial hearts as a "bridge to recovery" - allowing the heart to rest and recuperate, and avoid the need for transplantation.
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Heart failure is a major problem affecting over 750,000 people in the UK with 65,000 new cases being diagnosed every year. The prognosis is poor and heart failure causes more deaths than cancer of the breast, bowel or prostate. A shortage of useable donor hearts has meant that only about 140 transplants are performed a year – a number totally inadequate for those who require heart transplants. Harefield Hospital has pioneered the use of artificial hearts to save the lives of patients with end stage heart failure who are deteriorating and unable to wait for a heart transplant as a “bridge to transplantation”. These patients are supported with an artificial heart (or ventricular assist device) and given a combination of drug therapy to promote recovery of their heart function. In many cases the recovery of heart function that has occurred following this therapy has been good enough to allow removal of the artificial heart and avoid the need for transplantation. Cardiologists and surgeons are working very closely with scientists in the Heart Science Centre to study the mechanisms underlying this improvement in heart function (myocardial recovery). Extensive studies at clinical, cellular and molecular levels have shown many important molecular changes that correlate with improvements in cardiac function. These studies are leading to a greater understanding of the causes of heart failure and are hoped to lead to new therapeutic targets. It is very important that we expand further both the clinical and basic research in this field. £150,000 a year is required to ensure that this important research programme continues for the benefit and future treatment of many patients with advanced heart failure.