The
fou datio
of
late
Home
Depot
cofou de
Be ie
Ma cus
has
committed
$28.7
millio
to
stem
cell
esea ch
at
the
U ive sity
of
Southe
Califo ia.
The
esea ch
aims
to
develop
t eatme ts
fo
hea t
damage
caused
by
hea t
attacks.
The
fu di g
will
suppo t
physicia -scie tist
Cha les
“Chuck”
Mu y,
di ecto
of
USC’s
Stem
Cell
Ce te .
His
team
is
studyi g
how
stem-cell-de ived
hea t
muscle
cells
could
help
ege e ate
damaged
ca diac
tissue.
The
wo k
is
still
expe ime tal
a d
is
bei g
developed
towa ds
cli ical
t ials.
It
is
ot
yet
a
established
t eatme t
fo
hea t
attack
patie ts.
The
do atio
also
co ti ues
Ma cus’
lo g
histo y
of
suppo ti g
medical
esea ch,
a
cause
that
had
a
pe so al
co ectio
to
him
because
he
had
o ce
d eamed
of
becomi g
a
docto .
Home
Depot
fou de
do ates
$28.7
millio
to
adva ce
stem
cell
esea ch
The
Ma cus
Fou datio
has
committed
$28.7
millio
to
suppo t
Mu y’s
esea ch
i to
ege e ative
t eatme ts
fo
damaged
hea ts.
USC
says
his
wo k
focuses
o
usi g
stem-cell-de ived
hea t
muscle
cells
to
epai
tissue
damaged
by
hea t
attacks,
while
the
fou datio
said
the
fu di g
will
help
adva ce
ge e-edited
cellula
the apy
towa ds
cli ical
t ials.
The
gift
is
the
la gest
the
Ma cus
Fou datio
has
give
to
USC
a d
o e
of
its
la gest
co t ibutio s
to
academic
medici e.
A
hea t
attack
ca
dest oy
pa t
of
the
hea t
muscle
whe
blood
flow
is
blocked,
leavi g
behi d
sca
tissue
that
ca
weake
the
o ga
a d
educe
its
pumpi g
ability.
Resea che s
a e
studyi g
whethe
ew
hea t
muscle
cells
c eated
f om
stem
cells
could
eplace
some
of
the
lost
tissue
a d
help
esto e
ca diac
fu ctio .
How
stem
cells
could
epai
hea t
damage
The
huma
hea t
has
a
limited
ability
to
eplace
muscle
cells
afte
majo
i ju y,
which
is
why
esea che s
have
bee
explo i g
ege e ative
medici e
as
a
possible
t eatme t
fo
hea t
disease.
Mu y’s
wo k
focuses
o
ca diomyocytes,
the
specialised
muscle
cells
espo sible
fo
the
hea t’s
co t actio s.
Scie tists
ca
p oduce
these
cells
f om
stem
cells
i
the
labo ato y
a d
study
whethe
they
ca
su vive
afte
bei g
t a spla ted
i to
damaged
hea t
tissue,
i teg ate
with
existi g
cells
a d
co t ibute
to
the
hea t’s
fu ctio .
Howeve ,
the
t eatme t
emai s
expe ime tal
a d
faces
seve al
challe ges.
Resea che s
must
dete mi e
how
effectively
the
ew
cells
wo k
i
huma s
a d
whethe
they
ca
be
safely
i t oduced
without
causi g
complicatio s.
Ge e
editi g
could
help
make
the
t eatme t
safe
A
majo
challe ge
with
t a spla ti g
ew
hea t
muscle
cells
is
the
isk
of
ab o mal
hea t
hythms
if
the
cells
do
ot
beat
i
sy c
with
the
patie t’s
existi g
hea t
tissue.
Mu y’s
team
has
explo ed
ge e-editi g
tech iques
desig ed
to
add ess
this
p oblem
befo e
the
cells
a e
t a spla ted.
USC
has
epo ted
p omisi g
p ecli ical
fi di gs
f om
a imal
studies
i
which
ge e-edited
cells
educed
the
isk
of
da ge ous
a hythmias
a d
helped
esto e
damaged
hea t
tissue.
Howeve ,
these
fi di gs
do
ot
p ove
that
the
t eatme t
is
safe
o
effective
i
huma s.
Cli ical
t ials
will
be
equi ed
to
dete mi e
whethe
the
app oach
ca
eve tually
be
used
as
a
t eatme t
fo
people
who
have
suffe ed
hea t
attacks,
a d
the
Ma cus
Fou datio ‘s
fu di g
is
i te ded
to
help
move
the
esea ch
close
to
that
stage.
Be ie
Ma cus’
lifelo g
co ectio
to
medici e
Ma cus
had
d eamed
of
becomi g
a
docto
befo e
he
became
a
billio ai e
busi essma .
His
family
could
ot
affo d
medical
school,
so
he
i stead
studied
pha macy
at
Rutge s
U ive sity
a d
g aduated
i
1954.
Acco di g
to
Home
Depot,
Ma cus
sometimes
skipped
classes
to
sell
Ama a
f eeze s
doo -to-doo
while
studyi g.
He
late
moved
i to
busi ess
a d
held
se io
positio s
at
seve al
compa ies
befo e
bei g
fi ed
f om
Ha dy
Da ,
a
home
imp oveme t
etaile ,
i
1978.
The
setback
led
Ma cus
a d
A thu
Bla k
to
establish
Home
Depot
with
othe
pa t e s,
ope i g
the
fi st
sto es
i
Atla ta
i
1979.
The
compa y
eve tually
g ew
i to
o e
of
the
la gest
home
imp oveme t
etaile s
i
the
US.
Ma cus
died
o
Novembe
4,
2024,
at
the
age
of
95,
with
Fo bes
estimati g
his
fo tu e
at
about
$11
billio .