Mission Statement

Cardiovascular disease is a leading cause of death in the United States and other developed nations. Our mission is to explore the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying the development of heart and blood vessel diseases and to seek novel therapeutic strategies for treating those diseases. We employ modern technology in cellular and molecular biology and biochemistry and establish various heart disease models in vitro and in vivo. Our laboratory not only serves as a basic biomedicine cardiovascular research center but also provides a preclinical and clinical research platform for the education and training of medical students, residents, and fellows. Each year, we host visiting scientists and professors and train research fellows from other countries. We also participate in public biomedical education forums for patients and their families.

Research Projects

Our two major projects deal with heart failure and stem cell therapy. Our laboratory is a major research center for conducting translational studies using human and animal stem cells. We are studying the use of both immature and adult stem cells. We analyze the effects of various risk factors for atherosclerosis and heart failure on the growth, survival and differentiation of stem cells in culture and in heart failure models. We also study the use of stem cell transplantation into the heart as a treatment for damage caused by ischemia or infarction. Through collaboration with physicians involved in FDA-approved clinical trials, we are pursuing the potential for using adult human stem cells to treat patients with chronic heart failure.

See also on this site: Stem Cell Center

Department Staff

Yong-Jian Geng, MD, PhD, director; Dr. James T. Willerson, president, medical director, and director of Cardiology Research at Texas Heart Institute; and Dr. Emerson Perin, director of New Cardiovascular Interventional Technology, and director of Clinical Research for Cardiovascular Medicine. Our research team includes basic scientists, graduate students, physicians, and administrative personnel.

Yong-Jian Geng, MD, PhD

Recent Publications and Presentations

Actor JK, Olsen M, Hunter RL, Geng YJ: Dysregulated response to mycobacterial cord factor trehalose-6,6 '-dimycolate in CD1D(-/-) mice. Journal of Interferon and Cytokine Research. 2001;21:1089-1096.

Geng YJ: Molecular signal transduction in vascular cell apoptosis. Cell Res. 2001;11:253-64.

Geng YJ: Biologic effect and molecular regulation of vascular apoptosis in atherosclerosis. Curr Atheroscler Rep. 2001;3:234-42.

Phillips JE, Geng YJ, Mason RP: 7-Ketocholesterol forms crystalline domains in model membranes and murine aortic smooth muscle cells. Atherosclerosis. 2001;159:125-135.

Hardt SE, Geng YJ, Montagne O, Asai K, Hong C, Yang GP, Bishop SP, Kim SJ, Vatner DE, Seidman CE, Seidman JG, Homcy CJ, Vatner SF: Accelerated cardiomyopathy in mice with overexpression of cardiac G(s)alpha and a missense mutation in the alpha-myosin heavy chain. Circulation. 2002;105:614-620.

Wang J, Geng YJ, Guo B, Klima T, Lal BN, Willerson JT, Casscells W: Near-infrared spectroscopic characterization of human advanced atherosclerotic plaques. Journal of the American College of Cardiology. 2002;39:1305-1313.

De Nigris F, Lerman A, Ignarro LJ, Williams-Ignarro S, Sica V, Baker AH, Lerman LO, Geng YJ, Napoli C: Oxidation-sensitive mechanisms, vascular apoptosis and atherosclerosis. Trends in Molecular Medicine. 2003;9:351-359.

Geng YJ: Molecular mechanisms for cardiovascular stem cell apoptosis and growth in the hearts with atherosclerotic coronary disease and ischemic heart failure. In: Apoptosis: From Signaling Pathways to Therapeutic Tools; 2003:687-697.

Geng YJ, Phillips JE, Mason RP, Casscells SW: Cholesterol crystallization and macrophage apoptosis: implication for atherosclerotic plaque instability and rupture. Biochemical Pharmacology. 2003;66:1485-1492.

Perin EC, Dohmann HFR, Borojevic R, Silva SA, Sousa ALS, Mesquita CT, Rossi MID, Carvalho AC, Dutra HS, Dohmann HJF, Silva GV, Belem L, Vivacqua R, Rangel FOD, Esporcatte R, Geng YJ, Vaughn WK, Assad JAR, Mesquita ET, Willerson JT: Transendocardial, autologous bone marrow cell transplantation for severe, chronic ischemic heart failure. Circulation. 2003;107:2294-2302.

Perin EC, Geng YJ, Willerson JT: Adult stem cell therapy in perspective. Circulation. 2003;107:935-938.

Guidry TV, Olsen M, Kil KS, Hunter RL, Geng YJ, Actor JK: Failure of CD1D(-/-) mice to elicit hypersensitive granulomas to mycobacterial cord factor trehalose 6,6 '-dimycolate. Journal of Interferon and Cytokine Research. 2004;24:362-371.

Li S, Lin J, Lenehan E, Liu J, Long C, Liu J, Geng YJ: Myocardial protection of warm cardioplegic induction on the isolated perfused rat heart model. J Extra Corpor Technol. 2004;36(1):58-65.

Silva GV, Litovsky S, Assad JAR, Sousa ALS, Martin BR, Vela D, Coulter SC, Ling J, Ober J, Vaughn WK, Branco RVC, Oliveira ED, He R, Geng YJ, Willerson JT, Perin EC: Mesenchymal Stem Cells Differentiate into an Endothelial Phenotype, Enhance Vascular Density, and Improve Heart Function in a Canine Chronic Ischemia Model. Circulation. 2004;In press.

Contact Information and Location

Stem Cell and Heart Failure Research Laboratories
Texas Heart Institute
Yong-Jian Geng, MD, PhD, director
e-mail
Mailing address:
MC 2-255
PO Box 20345
Houston, TX 77225-0345