Scottish patient becomes first in world to take part in ground-breaking cardiac gene therapy trial
A Scottish patient has become the first person in the world to undergo a clinical trial that aims to improve outcomes for those having specialist heart surgery.
John MacDonald, 73, volunteered to take part in the new study, led by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and the University of Glasgow, which uses gene therapy during Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery.
It is hoped this treatment will extend the lifespan of blood vessels used during the graft process and significantly improve patient health.
John, from Stornoway on the Isle of Lewis, became the first person to receive the treatment as part of the PROTECT study after he suffered a heart attack at home at the beginning of August 2025.
The retired lorry driver was flown to Golden Jubilee University National Hospital in Clydebank, where he underwent open heart surgery, with surgeons using a vein in his leg as a graft to create a new route for blood to flow to his heart.
During the operation, researchers treated the vein to be grafted with a viral vector carrying a gene for a protein involved in tissue remodelling known as TIMP-3.
Vein grafts used in this type of surgery can fail because they are not naturally designed to withstand the high pressure of blood flow from the heart.
But it is thought treating them with the TIMP-3 gene therapy will help prevent thickening and blockage of the graft over time, potentially prolonging its effectiveness well beyond the current standard and reducing graft failure.
The team have developed a way to deliver this therapy at the time of surgery directly to the graft following removal from the leg, thereby allowing this therapy to de delivered safely and efficiently directly to the affected tissue prior to grafting into the heart.
This could have many significant benefits such as helping to extend a patient’s healthy life expectancy, and reducing the need for further surgeries.
The TIMP-3 gene therapy medicine has been developed over several years by the team and manufactured into the final product through partnership with NHSGGC as co-sponsor of the clinical trial, the funders of the trial and other collaborators, culminating in the opening of the clinical trial.
John, who previously had stents fitted following a cardiac arrest at the age of 60, is now recovering well from his surgery, and told how he feels “on top of the world” with renewed energy and physical abilities.
The grandad-of-three said: “I can’t get over how I’m feeling.
“I was managing to go for walks two or three weeks after getting out of hospital, I’m driving again now, and I’ve been doing wee bits around the garden.
“I can go up and down the stairs in the house now, I don’t feel lethargic anymore. I’m sleeping a lot better than I ever was. My health is just fantastic.”
He added: “I feel 100% better than I was after I got my stents 13 years ago. I’m really feeling good – I feel on top of the world actually.”
The PROTECT study is sponsored by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde’s Research and Innovation directorate in partnership with the University of Glasgow and in collaboration with NHS Golden Jubilee and the University of Edinburgh and marks a major milestone in cardiovascular research.
The clinical trial is supported by the Medical Research Council and British Heart Foundation, and has received additional support from the Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult, MVLS Translational Research Initiatives Wellcome Translational Partnership Award and Northern Alliance Advanced Therapy Treatment Centre, as well as the universities of Bristol and Cardiff.
The trial is an example of cross-boundary research, involving collaboration across several NHS Boards to deliver this pioneering approach.
John encouraged others to consider taking part in clinical trials and studies designed to improve outcomes and care for patients.
He said: “All of the medical staff and the research team explained exactly what they were going to do, it was very detailed and I knew what to expect.
“They also stressed that I was under no obligation to volunteer, and gave me time to discuss it with my family.
“My wife and I thought, well, if it’s going to benefit me in the years to come, and benefit others in the future because it has been through this trial, then I would like to do that.
“This experiment could not only prolong my life, but it could prolong my healthy years.
“I’m glad to be helping the clinical and research teams achieve what they are trying to do, and I’d encourage others to consider taking part in studies like this one that could help many people in the future.
“We as a family are forever grateful to a magnificent team of surgeons, doctors and nurses who have fixed my failing heart and given me my quality of life back.”
Colin Berry, Professor of Cardiology and Imaging at the University of Glasgow and Interventional Cardiology Consultant for both NHSGGC and NHS Golden Jubilee, is one of the cardiologists leading the research with patients treated at NHS Golden Jubilee.
Image: The NHS Golden Jubilee team helping lead the research
He said: “Heart bypass surgery is a life-saving treatment for patients with coronary heart disease and millions of people around the world are living longer due to the benefits of bypass surgery.
“The heart surgeon will typically use one artery and two or more veins as bypass grafts.
“However, in the years after surgery, the veins commonly narrow and may block leading to angina, heart attacks and heart failure.
“Our team has developed a new approach to prevent vein graft failure. The new gene therapy has been developed during more than two decades of teamwork involving many experts working in collaboration.
“We are delighted to be leading this new study which is designed to clarify the feasibility and potential benefits of this new therapy for patients undergoing heart bypass surgery.”
Professor Jesse Dawson, Director of Research and Innovation at NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, said: “This study marks an exciting milestone for cardiovascular research and patient care.
“By using gene therapy during bypass surgery, we aim to improve the durability of vein grafts and reduce the risk of complications over time.
“Our ultimate goal is to help patients not only live longer but enjoy a better quality of life after surgery.
“Our team in the Research and Innovation department worked really hard to get this unique study up and running and we are proud to lead this world-first trial in partnership with the University of Glasgow and our NHS Golden Jubilee colleagues. We are grateful to patients like John who make this vital research possible.”
Nawwar Al-Attar, Consultant Cardiac Surgeon and Principal Investigator of the study, said: “The collaborative efforts of an extraordinary team ensured that all preparations, including the timely setup and delivery of the gene therapy, were executed seamlessly and supported by our dedicated research and theatre nurses.
“We now look forward to the completion of this trial and sharing our findings with the wider scientific community.”
Professor Andrew Baker, British Heart Foundation Chair of Translational Cardiovascular Sciences at the University of Edinburgh, Visiting Professor at the University of Glasgow and academic lead for the study, said: “I’m hugely grateful to the Medical Research Council and British Heart Foundation for helping the team translate this laboratory discovery to clinical evaluation.
“We have faced many challenges but our interdisciplinary team and funders working together have enabled the trial to become a reality.”
Professor James Leiper, Director of Research at the British Heart Foundation, said: “This pioneering study is an inspiring reminder of how far gene therapy, which was once a distant scientific ambition, has come.
“Research funding from the BHF to Prof Andrew Baker over many years laid the groundwork for this study, generating the knowledge, experience and proof of concept data needed to move this research out of the lab and towards the clinic.
“In partnership with the MRC, continued BHF funding has enabled Prof’s Berry and Baker to begin the clinical trials necessary to prove the value of this new therapy.
“We look forward to seeing the results of this exciting trial in a few years. While it’s early days, positive results would open up opportunities for more patients like John to continue to feel ‘on top of the world’.
“But breakthroughs like this are only possible because of the generosity of the public. We need support now more than ever to continue funding the next frontier of cardiovascular research that can help to save and improve lives.”
