Longeveron® Licences New Cardiac-Targeted Stem Cell Technology for Heart Disease
Tuesday, July 22, 2025
Longeveron Inc, a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on regenerative medicine, has licensed a newly issued US patent (12,168,028 B2) from the University of Miami. The patent covers a specialised stem cell technology involving induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived cardiomyogenic cells, which may offer promising treatment options for a wide range of heart-related conditions.
The protected technology involves isolating a specific type of precursor cell that expresses a cell surface marker known as the GHRH-Receptor (GHRHR). These GHRHR-positive cells have shown the ability to become human heart muscle cells, and may offer a safer alternative to current methods used to produce cardiac cells from iPSCs.
This licensing move supports Longeveron’s ongoing work in serious conditions such as hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS), paediatric dilated cardiomyopathy, and Alzheimer’s disease. The company aims to broaden its pipeline of cell-based therapies through this addition.
Originally, iPSC-derived heart cells were considered a way to regenerate heart muscle tissue due to their potential to produce an unlimited number of cardiomyocytes without relying on embryonic stem cells. However, early approaches led to complications such as severe ventricular arrhythmias after implantation in animal models, which significantly delayed clinical development.
The newly licensed method addresses this issue by selectively isolating the GHRHR-positive subset of heart precursor cells. These specific cells are directed only toward becoming contractile heart muscle cells and do not exhibit properties associated with electrical activity seen in cardiac conduction tissues. As a result, they are less likely to trigger dangerous heart rhythm disorders after transplantation.
Longeveron sees this technology as a valuable addition that could be applied in both adult and rare childhood cardiovascular conditions, offering new therapeutic possibilities in the regenerative medicine field.
Source: globenewswire.com
