UC Davis researchers have successfully used a custom-designed protein and gene delivery system to restore normal heart rhythms in pigs with electronic pacemakers, reducing their dependence on implanted devices. This work suggests that scientists are closer to making bioengineering a reality in treating the more than 2.2 million Americans affected by irregular heartbeats.

The UC Davis study, which was coauthored by an international team that included scientists from the University of Hong Kong and Johns Hopkins University, was published in the journal Circulation. Ronald Li, an associate professor of cell biology and human anatomy at UC Davis who led the research team in the study, said this biological approach would provide a more permanent, reliable and less invasive alternative to implanted electronic devices.