Dr James (Jim) McCully is Associate Professor of Surgery, Harvard Medical School, Department of Cardiac Surgery, Boston Children’s Hospital, where his research focuses on the mechanisms of myocardial cell death.
The McCully Lab studies the damage caused by ischemia/reperfusion injury in people of all ages including neonatally, with particular emphasis on the development of novel and specific cardioprotective protocols.
Recently, Dr McCully developed a breakthrough technique using the patient’s own mitochondria, the powerhouse of the cell, to protect the heart. This research has shown that transplanting healthy mitochondria into the damaged area of the heart shortly after blood flow is restored significantly improves the heart and the patient’s recovery.
After being transplanted, mitochondria make their way into the heart and are ingested by the tissue, where they help repair and protect the cells by boosting the production of energy and proteins. This supports heart function and promotes healing after injury without triggering an immune response or rejection.
Dr Jim McCully is attending CCRG to lend his expertise and guidance to their ongoing cardiothoracic transplantation research program.