Marcus Foundation Invests Heavily in Stem-Cell Heart Therapies

The Marcus Foundation, established by Home Depot cofounder Bernie Marcus, has donated $28.7 million to the University of Southern California (USC) to advance clinical trials for stem-cell therapies targeting heart attack recovery.

Cardiovascular disease remains a leading cause of mortality globally, and the foundation aims to shift treatment protocols from mere symptom management to structural cardiac repair with the help of living cellular medicine.

The USC Stem Cell Center, under the direction of Dr. Chuck Murry, will utilize the grant to advance gene-edited cellular therapies that focus on regenerating necrotic heart muscle following myocardial infarctions.

The foundation's latest disbursement signals a sharp pivot toward regenerative medicine, and researchers globally anticipate that successful USC trials could democratize access to advanced cardiac regeneration techniques within the next decade.