Douglas W. Losordo, MD, reshaping role of stem cell therapy in heart disease

Life-changing mentors, a dedication to patients and great timing have all factored into Losordo’s success in the field of regenerative medicine.

Not one to preach and not practice, Douglas W. Losordo, MD, applies the message of heart-healthy living equally to his professional and personal life.

Losordo is the director of the Feinberg Cardiovascular Research Institute, as well as the director of the Program in Cardiovascular Regenerative Medicine at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Chicago. Losordo, a native to New York City, received his medical degree from the University of Vermont. After an internship, residency and fellowship at St. Elizabeth’s Medical, Boston, he subsequently joined the faculty, working with the late Jeffrey M. Isner, MD, to develop a program in therapeutic angiogenesis and cell-based tissue repair.

Douglas W. Losordo, MD Director of the Feinberg Cardiovascular Research Institute. Director of the Program in Cardiovascular Regenerative Medicine at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Chicago. Board-certified in internal medicine, CVD and interventional cardiology. Eileen M. Foell Professor of Heart Research at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine. Fellow of the ACC, the AHA, the AAAS, among others. Overseer of his own research group. Member, Vascular Medicine/Intervention section of Cardiology Today’s Editorial Board.

Losordo is currently board-certified in internal medicine, CVD and interventional cardiology. He is the Eileen M. Foell Professor of Heart Research at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine and is a fellow of the American College of Cardiology, the American Heart Association, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, among others. His primary research interests include angiogenesis/vasculogenesis, progenitor/adult stem cells, tissue repair/regeneration, vascular biology.

Losordo’s research group has executed the full “translational medicine” paradigm, identifying novel therapeutics in the laboratory, developing the strategies in small and large animal models, and designing and executing first in human clinical trials.

What do you enjoy doing when you’re not practicing medicine?

I like to practice what I preach. I enjoy staying physically active and try to exercise most days of the week, and like running, playing basketball or just hitting the gym. Most of my life is indoors, so any chance I get to be outdoors during nice weather is a plus. For vacations, windsurfing is a big focus of mine.

If you hadn’t gone into cardiology or medicine, what would you have done?

I always thought I would end up in medicine. Even though there are no doctors in my family, from the time I was a little kid, I always knew I wanted to be a physician. However, if I had not ended up in medicine, I think it’s pretty likely I would have ended up in education.

What would you consider one of your biggest successes in your specialty?

As a physician, the daily sense of accomplishment comes from taking care of individual patients. This is to me an unparalleled experience. I don’t think there is anything else in professional life that can compare with the ability to touch individual lives the way we can as physicians.

On a more global scale, the very exciting development around the use of adult stem cells to repair damaged heart muscle has provided a great opportunity for me. I’ve been fortunate by virtue of timing and some luck to be positioned at the crossroads of those activities and to be able to shepherd a therapy through the translational phase into what may become a mainstream therapy.

What is the last book you read/music you purchased? Why, and what did you think of it?

The book I’m currently reading is called The Road to Serfdom by F.A. Hayek. I’m a little bit of a political junkie, and this is a mixture of historical, economic and political discourse. It’s really a very fascinating book, which, even though it was written in the 1930s, really resonates with what’s going on today in the world.

Also, being in Chicago, I’m fortunate that I live in what many would say is one of the blues capitals of the world, so I’m fortunate to get to listen to some of the best blues music around. In addition, Chicago has a great symphony orchestra, and I’m excited that the symphony season is starting.

What is the best advice you’ve ever received?

The best professional advice I’ve received was to ignore advice about what I should do career-wise and do something that I was really excited about and enjoyed, rather than doing something that I would not be passionate about.

Douglas W. Losordo, MD, leads by example and exercises as close to daily as possible. Photo courtesy of: Douglas W. Losordo, MD

Whom do you consider your mentor?

I’ve benefited from having two very strong mentors. One was Jeffrey Isner, who was my scientific mentor whom I was fortunate to work with for 18 years. He was the optimal mentor in many ways: He was very passionate about what he did, a great teacher and had great vision for doing things for patients through research. In many ways, Jeff opened many physicians’ eyes — including my own — regarding the possibilities of being a therapeutic innovator as a physician.

The other was K. Ramaswamy, MD, who was my clinical mentor. He taught me everything I know about interventional cardiology.

What kind of diet and exercise regimen do you have?

I try to watch my diet. I come from an Italian background, so anything that isn’t nailed down is fair game. But moderation is the key. I’m blessed with good genetics, so there’s no heart disease in my family. My cholesterol is very low, which hopefully is a part of diet and exercise, but I think it’s also probably luck.

What do you think will have the biggest influence on cardiology in the next 10 years?

I think the biggest influence will be repairing damaged tissue using biologic treatments, be they proteins, genes, cells or bioengineered scaffolding materials. The whole idea of not only reducing mortality from heart disease but actually being able to repair the damaged organ and improve quality of life will start to take center stage. Life span has, of course, benefited from our interventions, but now I think we’re entering an era where improving quality of life through a regenerative medicine approach will become more and more a staple of what we do as cardiologists.

What is your favorite travel destination?

For windsurfing, St. Barts in the Caribbean is my favorite place in the world. Other travel destinations I love include any place in Italy. I have family there, so I go back to see them when I can. The country is spectacular. My dad lives in Vermont, and I also get to visit him pretty frequently. It’s a beautiful spot. Where he lives looks like a postcard.

What is your favorite restaurant?

That would be Babbo in New York City. The food is spectacular. It’s a very unique take on Italian cooking, and I think it’s really one of the greatest restaurants in the world. – by Brian Ellis