The Hope Heart Institute's Department of Translational Medicine was established in 2001 under the leadership of Margaret Allen, MD. This department is conducting pioneering research in the area of tissue repair and remodeling with the goal of developing new therapies that might change the ways we treat cardiovascular disease.

Focus and Challenge

Uniting the progress being made in molecular biology, vascular biology and cell biology in order to "translate" them into new, pre-clinical and clinical applications.

Major Projects – Dr. Margaret Allen Lab:

• Cardiovascular Gene Transduction of using Liposome and AAV Delivery: Intravascular gene delivery for intra-operative genetic engineering for cardiovascular disease: inhibition of NF?B activation through endothelial nitric oxide synthase as a local therapeutic strategy for heart transplantation and ischemia-reperfusion injury during routine cardiac surgery. Adeno-associated viral vector transduction of hemoxygenase-1 for anti-apoptotic effect in ischemic myocardium; VEGF-165 for revascularization of ischemic myocardium, decorin for extracellular matrix remodeling. Effects of different promoters on AAV transduction.
• Allograft and Xenograft Tolerance Through Microchimerism in a Non-human Primate Model: Induction of microchimerism with intrathymic stem cell transplantation and effects on solid organ (cardiac) and cellular (pancreatic islets) graft survival: delineation of CD34+ subsets critical for tolerance development.
• Vascular Biology of Leukocyte-Endothelial Adhesion Interactions: Role of adhesion molecules and their leukocyte receptors in the development of cellular rejection and transplant arteriopathy in rabbit and large animal cardiac and carotid transplant models.
• Tissue Engineering for Myocardial Infarct Repair and Biological Left Ventricular Assist Devices: Atrial myocardial flaps and seeding of angioblasts and myocytes to populate myocardial patches. Engineered left ventricles composed of myocytes and endothelial cells.
• Minority Community Outreach on Organ Donation and Transplantation: Qualitative and quantitative research to understand and overcome barriers to organ donation among people of color.

Public Health

In the area of organ donation and transplantation there are huge disparities in diverse populations: people of color wait up to twice as long as Caucasians for a suitable organ match and make up 46% of the national waiting list despite being only 26% of the population.

Under the direction of Margaret Allen, MD, the world's first female heart transplant surgeon and a leader in this movement, the Hope Heart Institute is partnering with the International Community Health Services, and the University of Washington Department of Health Services in the School of Public Health and Community Medicine to impact all points along the process of organ donation and transplantation under a five year grant from the National Institutes of Health.

Focus and Challenges

Address the lack of ethnic-specific education for people of color regarding the need for organ donation within their own communities. Increase awareness and understanding among health professionals about how culture, family and religion might impact a person of color's decision about becoming an organ donor.

Major Projects – Dr. Margaret Allen

• Conduct ethnic specific focus groups, interviews and community surveys to assess knowledge, beliefs and attitudes about organ donation among communities of color.
• Educate medical interpreters about how people of color are uniquely affected by this issue.
• Provide training workshops for organ procurement and transplant professionals on how to work with families of multi-cultural backgrounds.
• Develop an ethnic-, language-, and cultural-specific public education campaign, including an educational video for youth of color featuring prominent Asian Americans.

Meet Dr. Allen