Research
Dr Johannes Bargehr is a Cardiology Academic Clinical Fellow with a specialty interest in regenerative cardiovascular medicine. Johannes completed an MPhil in Translational Medicine and Therapeutics at Cambridge and subsequently a PhD with Dr Sanjay Sinha at the Wellcome-MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute. His Cambridge doctoral thesis examined the role of human embryonic stem cell (hESC)-derived epicardial cells in myocardial graft development. During this time he also spent over a year in Prof. Charles Murry’s lab at University of Washington in Seattle to test the functionality of hESC-derived epicardium as a regenerative therapeutic following myocardial infarction.
Aiming to remuscularise lost myocardial tissue with the use of hESC-derived cardiomyocytes is a promising approach to effectively treat the underlying problem of ischaemic heart disease. However, associated shortcomings include low cell engraftment, poor proliferation as well as suboptimal vascularisation of cardiac grafts. Johannes has shown that the embryonic function of the epicardial tissue can be exploited to overcome these limitations resulting in markedly enhanced structural and functional properties of hESC-derived cardiomyocytes in vitro and in vivo.
His future endeavours lie in further optimisation of human stem cell -based heart repair and the translation of his science to a clinical therapy for patients with ischaemic heart disease.
Publications
Bargehr J, Ong LP, Colzani M, Davaapil H, Hofsteen P, Bhandari S, Gambardella L, Le Novère N, Iyer D, Sampaziotis F, Weinberger F, Bertero A, Leonard A, Bernard WG, Martinson A, Figg N, Regnier M, Bennett MR, Murry CE, Sinha S. Epicardial cells derived from human embryonic stem cells augment cardiomyocyte-driven heart regeneration. Nature Biotechnology. 2019;37(8):895-906.
Sampaziotis F, Justin AW, Tysoe OC, Sawiak S, Godfrey EM, Upponi SS, Gieseck RL 3rd, de Brito MC, Berntsen NL, Gómez-Vázquez MJ, Ortmann D, Yiangou L, Ross A, Bargehr J et al. Reconstruction of the mouse extrahepatic biliary tree using primary human extrahepatic cholangiocyte organoids. Nature Medicine. 2017;23(8):954-963.
Bargehr J, Low L, Cheung C, Bernard WG, Iyer D, Bennett MR, Gambardella L and Sinha S. Embryological origin of human smooth muscle cells influence their ability to support endothelial network formation. Stem Cells Translational Medicine. 2016;5(7):946-59.
Bargehr J, Oken K, Thomas RJ, Lopez-Jimenez F, Trejo-Gutierrez JF. Exercise Performance and its predictors in change over time in one decade of cardiac rehabilitation. American Journal of Cardiology 2017;119(5):687-691.
Bargehr J, Trejo-Gutierrez JF, Taner CB, Aranda-Michel J. Atrial Fibrillation predisposes liver transplant patients to perioperative cardiac complications and impacts cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Liver Transplantation. 2015;21(3):314-20.
Yataco ML, Difato T, Bargehr J et al. Reversible non-ischaemic cardiomyopathy and left ventricular dysfunction after liver transplantation: a single-centre experience. Liver International. 2014;34(6):e105-10.
Bargehr J, Trejo-Gutierrez JF, Taner CB, Aranda-Michel J. Atrial Fibrillation in patients undergoing liver transplantation. Transplant Proc. 2013;45(6):2302-6.
Bargehr J, Flors Blasco L, Bonatti H, Sawyer R G, Leiva-Salinas C, Hagspiel K D. Radiological Nocardiosis in Solid Organ Transplant Recipients: Spectrum of Imaging Findings. Clinical Radiology. 2013;68(5):e266-71.
Bargehr J, Edlinger M, Hubalek M, Marth C, Reitsamer R. Axillary lymphnode status in early-stage breast cancer patients with sentinel node micrometastases. Breast Care. 2013;8(3):187-91.
