Scientists and physicians have worked to understand, treat, and ultimately reverse the damage caused by heart disease. From the first ECG to the discovery of cellular reprogramming, each breakthrough laid the groundwork for SYNCARDIA's approach to restoring heart function from within.
Background
Surgical Innovation (1967) - René Favaloro performs the first bypass graft, rerouting blood around obstructions. - Thrombolytic drugs emerge to dissolve dangerous clots. - Limitation: cardiomyocyte loss still replaced by stiff scar tissue.
Reprogramming (2006–2007) - Shinya Yamanaka and Kazutoshi Takahashi show fibroblasts can be reprogrammed into pluripotent cells (iPSCs). - Enables regenerative therapies from patient derived cells, bypassing embryos.
Imaging Breakthrough (1958) - Mason Sones develops coronary angiography, visualizing blocked arteries in living patients
Nanoparticle Delivery (1960s – 2020) - 1960s: Alec Bangham discovers liposomes as carriers for biological material. - 1970s: Liposomes used for drug delivery (Gregoriadis). - 2010s: FDA approves LNP-based siRNA therapy. - 2020: mRNA vaccines show LNPs are safe for gene delivery in humans.
Stem Cells (1998) - James Thomson isolates the first human embryonic stem cells, capable of becoming any cell type
Early Recognition (Late 1800s – 1950s) - Chest pain, coronary blockage, and sudden death first linked clinically. - Electrocardiography (eKg) confirms ischemia leads to cardiomyocyte death. - Treatments: bed rest, beta blockers (symptom management only).
SYNCARDIA