One of The Children's Heart Foundation's Medical Advisory Council members, Dr. Bernhard Kühn is conducting a clinical trial at Weill Cornell Pediatrics to direct formation of new heart muscle cells in infants with congenital heart disease, specially tetralogy of Fallot. Dr. Kühn is a leading physician-scientist who specializes in heart regeneration, and is chief of the Division of Cardiology in the Department of Pediatrics at Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian Komansky Children’s Hospital.

Researchers in the Department of Pediatrics of Weill Cornell Medical College test how the hearts of infants with tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) could be strengthened by administration of the β-blocker, propranolol. The goal of this randomized controlled trial, funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, is to increase the formation of heart muscle cells before surgical repair. The research team welcomes provider- and self-referrals of families who are awaiting the birth of their infant with tetralogy of Fallot or have a newborn with tetralogy of Fallot. The trial currently enrolls patients at Weill Cornell Medical’s Komansky Children’s Hospital, located in the Upper East Side of New York City, and at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Patient families are invited to participate irrespective of the location of their residence. For this trial, patients come for a daytime visit to either Children’s Hospitals at the age of 30 to 45 days after birth and undergo surgical repair as per usual clinical practice.

Participating in this trial does not impose additional financial burden on families since funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Interested caregivers and providers should reach out to the principal investigator (Bernhard Kühn, M.D., bek4011@med.cornell.edu) or study coordinator (Rashida Blackwood, M.P.H., rab4029@med.cornell.edu). The trial is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT04713657).