T cells as therapeutic target in an acute myocardial infarction pig model (A2)

Background

Recent studies from our groups and from others have revealed that T cell-targeting immunotherapies improve wound healing and survival in mouse models of MI. In order to translate these promising findings into novel therapies for humans we are now evaluating the immunotherapeutic approaches in the pig large animal model of MI.

Aims

We will evaluate novel T cell-targeting immunotherapies in pigs after MI as a critical step for clinical translation.

Approach

We will monitor cardiac function in pigs after balloon occlusion-induced MI using state-of-the-art methodologies and combine this with in-depth celluluar and humoral immunophenotyping including single cell RNAseq of heart-infiltrating T cells.

Significance and outlook

We expect that the evaluation of T cell-targeting therapies in the pig MI model will provide the basis for novel immunotherapies in patients after MI.