Rescuing Hearts Damaged by Ischemia - Guest Lecture by Dr Jim McCully

We recently welcomed Dr James (Jim) McCully from Harvard Medical School, Department of Cardiac Surgery, Boston Children’s Hospital, to present a guest lecture at CCRG.

Here Dr McCully shares more about a breakthrough technique using the patient’s own mitochondria, the powerhouse of the cell, to protect the heart.

The McCully Lab at Harvard University 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. Dr McCully's 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 McCully joined CCRG Research Fellows for two studies in August 2025, where for this first time in our labs, mitochondria was used to support a donor heart upon reperfusion. His visit to Australia was supported by Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals in partnership with The Common Good, an initiative of The Prince Charles Hospital Foundation.