Dr. Edward T.H. Yeh Named McNair Scholar
 |
| Dr. Edward T.H. Yeh Named McNair Scholar. |
HOUSTON (October 9, 2008) — The Robert and Janice McNair Foundation has established a $2.5 million fund to create the McNair Scholars Program at the Texas Heart Institute at St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital. Edward T.H. Yeh, M.D. is the first member of the Texas Heart Institute (THI) professional staff to receive the honor as a McNair Scholar. Dr. Yeh is an integral collaborator in THI’s stem cell research efforts. He is also chair of the Department of Cardiology at The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center.
Dr. Yeh’s world-renowned research includes the discovery of three novel biochemical pathways that revolutionized the understanding of cell cycle progression and cell signaling. He also is internationally recognized for his research contributions in deciphering the role of inflammation in the development of atherosclerosis and using stem cells to repair damaged heart muscles.
“Dr. Yeh’s research into the relatively new field of stem cell science has opened the door to advances that will eventually affect patients worldwide. His studies should ultimately allow us to create heart muscle stem cells in a test tube that can be used to repair injured human hearts after heart attacks and injured human brains after strokes, and to repair other types of organ injuries,” said James Willerson, M.D., president and medical director of the Texas Heart Institute.
In the stem cell investigations led by Drs. Willerson and Emerson Perin, investigators have been injecting adult stem cells into heart muscle or blood vessels to repair damage caused by heart attacks and other diseases. The process by which the cells effect these repairs remains elusive. Revealing the mechanism should enable physicians and researchers to refine and optimize stem cell treatment.
Working with Dr. Willerson, Dr. Yeh has shown that adult, circulating CD34+ cells, when injected into the tail veins of immunodeficient mice with experimentally-induced heart attacks, home to the mouse heart. Once in the heart, the cells can differentiate into new blood vessel and heart muscle cells. Some cells fuse with existing and injured cardiac cells. The investigators also discovered these news cells, once fused, divide again in an attempt to produce enough muscle cells to improve the injured heart’s ability to contract. Such fusing of stem cells to heart muscle cells may allow the heart to repair itself. Dr. Yeh now plans to concentrate his research on identifying the mechanisms that allow these fused human adult stem cells to produce new heart muscles. In addition, he will also develop methods to reprogram skin fibroblasts to create personalized stem cells for clinical usage.
“Clearly, this is exciting, innovative research with the potential to have a major impact in cardiovascular medicine. We are very grateful to The Robert and Janice McNair Foundation for establishing the McNair Scholars Program to support physicians and scientists in their pursuit of understanding, preventing and treating cardiovascular disease,” said Dr. Willerson.
“I am very excited to have the opportunity to be the first McNair Scholar. This gift will help advance the science and clinical treatment of cardiovascular disease with stem cell treatments,” said Dr. Yeh.
Contact: (For media profile, see Public Affairs.)
Kathy Watson
Texas Heart Institute
832-355-6569
kwatson@heart.thi.tmc.edu
