Cardioimmunology for Regeneration

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) remain the leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, underscoring the urgent need for transformative therapeutic strategies that go beyond symptom management to address the underlying damage. Our research focuses on unlocking the regenerative potential of the heart by targeting the immune system—an approach grounded in the emerging field of cardioimmunology.

The immune response to myocardial injury is a double-edged sword. While acute inflammation is necessary for clearing debris and initiating repair, prolonged or dysregulated immune activity can lead to maladaptive remodeling and fibrosis, ultimately impairing cardiac function. Immune cells such as macrophages, neutrophils, and T cells play dynamic roles in shaping the outcome of heart injury—either promoting regeneration or driving scarring. Understanding and reprogramming these immune pathways is central to our approach.

Our work is inspired by the neonatal heart’s unique regenerative capacity, which allows for complete structural and functional recovery following injury—a capacity that is rapidly lost after birth. This regenerative window is characterized by a specialized immune environment that is more permissive to repair. By deciphering the molecular and cellular mechanisms of this transient state, we aim to identify therapeutic targets capable of reactivating regenerative programs in the adult heart.

To achieve this, we integrate high-resolution molecular tools—including single-cell profiling, spatial transcriptomics, and in vivo cardiac injury models—to study the interactions between immune cells and cardiac tissue. A central component of our approach is the repurposing of FDA-approved immunomodulatory agents to shift the post-injury immune landscape toward a regenerative phenotype. One such candidate is Copaxone, a clinically used drug with well-established safety. Our studies suggest that it holds promise in enhancing cardiac repair by modulating immune activity and reducing fibrotic remodeling.

Ultimately, our goal is to harness the body’s intrinsic healing potential—guided by insights from developmental biology and immunology—to create safe, effective, and scalable treatments for myocardial infarction and heart failure. Through cardioimmunology and regenerative science, we aim to move beyond conventional paradigms and pioneer new therapeutic frontiers in cardiovascular medicine.