Engineered heart muscle (EHM) allografts represent a regenerative treatment approach for patients with advanced heart failure. In this first clinical study, tissue-engineered heart muscle patches were implanted in patients with ischemic heart failure to evaluate their safety and therapeutic potential.
The DZHK-supported trial demonstrated that implantation of the engineered heart patch was feasible and safe and showed encouraging clinical efficacy, providing the first clinical evidence that regenerative heart muscle therapy may become a treatment option for patients with advanced heart failure.
Link to the publication:
Zimmermann WH, Ensminger S, Kutschka I, et al. Stem-Cell-Derived Biologic Ventricular Assist Tissue in Heart Failure. N Engl J Med. 2026;394(20):1991-2001. doi:10.1056/NEJMoa2513525
Link to the press release: New Hope for Severe Heart Failure: Heart Patch Shows Clinical Efficacy (BioVAT-HF-DZHK20 Trial)
