Projects
Baumgartner
Excitotocity in Circulatory Arrest-Induced Brain Injury
This project has been fully funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) over the past five years and has been approved by the NIH as of 12/01/00 for a special honorary Javits award for a period of four to seven years. This project was initially based on the premise that nitric oxide (NO) and glutamate levels increase in the system after circulatory arrest and cause brain injury. Progress to date has confirmed that a significant increase in the levels of NO and glutamate occur and, indeed, cause brain damage. Ongoing experiments involve further investigation of the mechanism of injury and using pharmacological pretreatments to eliminate brain injury normally seen following hypothermic circulatory arrest. In addition, novel MRI imaging techniques of the brain are being used to non-invasively assess brain injury or preservation as a result of the pharmacologic treatments.
Baumgartner
In Vivo Mesenchymal Stem Cell Grafting in Cardiac Muscle: Molecular and Physiologic Consequences 
In this study, adult mesenchymal stem cells are harvested from bone marrow and cultured for growth. When adequate numbers of stem cells are present, these cells are injected into infarcted (dead) areas of a functioning heart to determine whether it will recover lost/non-functioning myocardium/heart muscle. Progress to date has shown that these stem cells differentiate into working muscle cells to maintain heart wall structure and improve regional function of the heart. Ongoing experiments encompassing larger areas of the heart may provide evidence of improved heart muscle survival following stem cell delivery. This study is supported by Osiris Corporation and The Cardiac Surgery Research Fund.
Conte
Heterotopic Heart Transplantation
This project seeks to develop a working model of heterotopic cardiac transplantation with the heart being placed in the abdomen. Ultimately if this model is able to show the ability to support the circulation, it may have clinical application as: 1) An alternate to mechanical circulatory devices, or 2) An alternate to standard cardiac transplantation. In the latter situation it will allow more patients to be transplanted since the heart will function as the auxiliary pump and will allow the use of marginal donor hearts. Progress to date has determined that the donor heart pumps effectively in the abdomen in an acute setting. We now seek to determine survival rate and the function of the transplanted heart. Our overall goal is to demonstrate that donor hearts otherwise unusable for standard transplantation, can be used successfully in abdominal heart transplants functioning as auxiliary circulatory support. Successful use of marginal donor hearts in this manner will maximize the existing donor pool to save more lives. This study is supported through the generosity of Robert and Pauline Garner.
Gott
Retrograde Spinal Cord Perfusion Via the Inferior Vena Cava
This study looks at spinal cord protection during thoracic aorta aneurysm surgery using retrograde blood flow, spinal cord cooling, and neuro-protective drug therapy. Progress to date has shown retrograde blood flow can perfuse and cool the spinal cord, however no neuro-protective effects were seen. Further drug therapy studies are ongoing. In addition, spinal cord microdialysis is being done to better characterize the nature of cord injury to provide insight into future protective mechanisms. This study is supported by The Dana and Albert "Cubby" Broccoli Center for Aortic Diseases and the Mildred and Carmont Blitz Cardiac Research Fund.
