Innovative Nonviral Gene Therapy Shows Promise for Age-Related Heart Disease

Researchers at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center have been exploring cutting-edge nonviral gene therapy techniques to combat age-associated heart problems. Their recent findings demonstrate that increasing brown fat activity or boosting the levels of a specific fat-derived molecule, known as a lipokine, can help maintain cardiovascular health in aging populations.

Brown fat, often termed "good" fat, is responsible for burning energy and generating heat through thermogenesis—differing from white fat, which primarily stores energy. The study revealed that levels of the lipokine 12,13-diHOME decline with age in both humans and mice. Transplanting brown fat from young mice to older counterparts improved heart function, indicating the hormone’s potential in mitigating cardiovascular decline. Notably, exercise was previously shown to elevate 12,13-diHOME levels, contributing to heart protection.

To replicate the beneficial effects without requiring physical activity, scientists utilized Tissue Nanotransfection (TNT)—a novel nonviral gene therapy method developed at Ohio State—to increase 12,13-diHOME in older mice. Within six weeks, significant improvements in heart function, including better ejection fraction and pumping ability, were observed. The research also uncovered that 12,13-diHOME can directly inhibit CaMKII, a protein involved in calcium regulation within heart cells, shedding light on how it supports heart health during aging.

The findings underscore the importance of this lipokine in reducing age-related cardiovascular decline and suggest that therapies enhancing its levels could be vital. As the global population ages rapidly, particularly with over 20% of the U.S. projected to be over 65 by 2030, these innovative treatments may offer effective strategies to prevent heart disease, the leading cause of death worldwide.

This research was a collaborative effort between Ohio State’s Colleges of Medicine and Engineering and was published in Nature Communications. The team highlighted that nonviral gene therapy techniques like TNT could eventually lead to accessible, targeted treatments for cardiovascular aging, reducing the risk of heart disease in older adults.