Abstract: In alternative embodiments, provided are compositions, including products of manufacture and kits, and methods, for treating a heart failure in a subject in need thereof comprising administering to the subject an isolated or recombinant nucleic acid, an isolated or recombinant or chimeric polypeptide, or an engineered cell, as provided herein, thereby treating the subject. In alternative embodiments, the administration reduces left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy, increases LV peak pressure development, reduced cAMP production and/or improves LV peak pressure decay in a pressure-overload in the subject. In alternative embodiments, provided are compositions and methods for: treating, ameliorating, or slowing the progress of, or protecting (preventing) an individual or a patient against heart failure; or, reducing LV hypertrophy, increasing LV peak pressure development, and/or improving LV peak pressure decay in a pressure-overload in an individual in need thereof.

Abstract: The invention provides methods for treating, ameliorating or protecting (preventing) an individual or a patient having or at risk of having heart disease or heart failure, or decreased cardiac function, comprising: providing a cyclic adenosine monophosphate-incompetent (cAMP-incompetent) adenylyl cyclase type 6 (AC6) protein or polypeptide (also called “an AC6mut”), or an AC6mut-encoding nucleic acid or a gene operatively linked to a transcriptional regulatory sequence.

Abstract: In alternative embodiments, the invention provides methods for treating, ameliorating or protecting (preventing) an individual or a patient against a disease, an infection or a condition responsive to an increased paracrine polypeptide level in vivo comprising: providing a paracrine polypeptide-encoding nucleic acid or gene operatively linked to a transcriptional regulatory sequence; or an expression vehicle, a vector, a recombinant virus, or equivalent, having contained therein a paracrine-encoding nucleic acid or gene, and the expression vehicle, vector, recombinant virus, or equivalent can express the paracrine-encoding nucleic acid or gene in a cell or in vivo; and administering or delivering the paracrine polypeptide-encoding nucleic acid or gene operatively linked to a transcriptional regulatory sequence, or the expression vehicle, vector, recombinant virus, or equivalent, to an individual or a patient in need thereof, thereby treating, ameliorating or protecting (preventing) the individual or patient a

Abstract: In alternative embodiments, the invention provides methods for treating, ameliorating or protecting (preventing) an individual or a patient against a disease, an infection or a condition responsive to an increased paracrine polypeptide level in vivo comprising: providing a paracrine polypeptide-encoding nucleic acid or gene operatively linked to a transcriptional regulatory sequence; or an expression vehicle, a vector, a recombinant virus, or equivalent, having contained therein a paracrine-encoding nucleic acid or gene, and the expression vehicle, vector, recombinant virus, or equivalent can express the paracrine-encoding nucleic acid or gene in a cell or in vivo; and administering or delivering the paracrine polypeptide-encoding nucleic acid or gene operatively linked to a transcriptional regulatory sequence, or the expression vehicle, vector, recombinant virus, or equivalent, to an individual or a patient in need thereof, thereby treating, ameliorating or protecting (preventing) the individual or patient a

Abstract: In alternative embodiments, provided are compositions, including products of manufacture and kits, and methods, for treating a heart failure in a subject in need thereof comprising administering to the subject an isolated or recombinant nucleic acid, an isolated or recombinant or chimeric polypeptide, or an engineered cell, as provided herein, thereby treating the subject. In alternative embodiments, the administration reduces left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy, increases LV peak pressure development, reduced cAMP production and/or improves LV peak pressure decay in a pressure-overload in the subject. In alternative embodiments, provided are compositions and methods for: treating, ameliorating, or slowing the progress of, or protecting (preventing) an individual or a patient against heart failure; or, reducing LV hypertrophy, increasing LV peak pressure development, and/or improving LV peak pressure decay in a pressure-overload in an individual in need thereof.

Abstract: In alternative embodiments, the invention provides methods for treating, ameliorating or protecting (preventing) an individual or a patient against a disease, an infection or a condition responsive to an increased paracrine polypeptide level in vivo comprising: providing a paracrine polypeptide-encoding nucleic acid or gene operatively linked to a transcriptional regulatory sequence; or an expression vehicle, a vector, a recombinant virus, or equivalent, having contained therein a paracrine-encoding nucleic acid or gene, and the expression vehicle, vector, recombinant virus, or equivalent can express the paracrine-encoding nucleic acid or gene in a cell or in vivo; and administering or delivering the paracrine polypeptide -encoding nucleic acid or gene operatively linked to a transcriptional regulatory sequence, or the expression vehicle, vector, recombinant virus, or equivalent, to an individual or a patient in need thereof, thereby treating, ameliorating or protecting (preventing) the individual or patient

Abstract: In alternative embodiments, the invention provides methods for treating, ameliorating or protecting (preventing) an individual or a patient against a disease, an infection or a condition responsive to an increased paracrine polypeptide level in vivo comprising: providing a paracrine polypeptide-encoding nucleic acid or gene operatively linked to a transcriptional regulatory sequence; or an expression vehicle, a vector, a recombinant virus, or equivalent, having contained therein a paracrine-encoding nucleic acid or gene, and the expression vehicle, vector, recombinant virus, or equivalent can express the paracrine-encoding nucleic acid or gene in a cell or in vivo; and administering or delivering the paracrine polypeptide-encoding nucleic acid or gene operatively linked to a transcriptional regulatory sequence, or the expression vehicle, vector, recombinant virus, or equivalent, to an individual or a patient in need thereof, thereby treating, ameliorating or protecting (preventing) the individual or patient a

Abstract: In alternative embodiments, provided are methods for treating, ameliorating or protecting (preventing) congestive heart failure (CHF) or a diabetes-related cardiac dysfunction, comprising: providing a urocortin 2-encoding and/or a urocortin 3-encoding nucleic acid, transcript or message, or gene, operatively linked to a transcriptional regulatory sequence, optionally contained in an expression vehicle or a vector such as an adeno-associated virus (AAV), e.g., an AAV8 serotype; and administering to an individual or a patient in need thereof, such as a type 2 diabetic (T2DM), e.g., by IV administration, thereby treating, ameliorating or protecting against (preventing) the T2DM and/or the diabetes-related cardiac dysfunction in the individual or patient.

Abstract: The invention provides methods for treating, ameliorating or protecting (preventing) an individual or a patient having or at risk of having heart disease or heart failure, or decreased cardiac function, comprising: providing a cyclic adenosine monophosphate-incompetent (cAMP-incompetent) adenylyl cyclase type 6 (AC6) protein or polypeptide (also called “an AC6mut”), or an AC6mut-encoding nucleic acid or a gene operatively linked to a transcriptional regulatory sequence.

Abstract: In alternative embodiments, the invention provides methods for treating, ameliorating or protecting (preventing) an individual or a patient against a disease, an infection or a condition responsive to an increased paracrine polypeptide level in vivo comprising: providing a paracrine polypeptide-encoding nucleic acid or gene operatively linked to a transcriptional regulatory sequence; or an expression vehicle, a vector, a recombinant virus, or equivalent, having contained therein a paracrine-encoding nucleic acid or gene, and the expression vehicle, vector, recombinant virus, or equivalent can express the paracrine-encoding nucleic acid or gene in a cell or in vivo; and administering or delivering the paracrine polypeptide-encoding nucleic acid or gene operatively linked to a transcriptional regulatory sequence, or the expression vehicle, vector, recombinant virus, or equivalent, to an individual or a patient in need thereof, thereby treating, ameliorating or protecting (preventing) the individual or patient a

Abstract: Methods are provided for treating patients with cardiovascular disease, including heart disease and peripheral vascular disease. The preferred methods of the present invention involve in vivo delivery of genes, encoding angiogenic proteins or peptides, to the myocardium or to peripheral ischemic tissue, by introduction of a vector containing the gene into a blood vessel supplying the heart or into a peripheral ischemic tissue.

Abstract: The present invention relates to polynucleotides encoding human adenylylcyclase VI and uses thereof for enhancing cardiac function. The present invention can thus be used in the treatment of heart disease, especially congestive heart failure.

Abstract: The present invention relates to methods and compositions for enhancing cardiac function in mammalian hearts by inserting transgenes that increase beta-adrenergic responsiveness within the myocardium. The present invention can thus be used in the treatment of heart disease, especially congestive heart failure.

Abstract: Methods are provided for treating patients with cardiovascular disease, including heart disease and peripheral vascular disease. The preferred methods of the present invention involve in vivo delivery of genes, encoding angiogenic proteins or peptides, to the myocardium or to peripheral ischemic tissue, by introduction of a vector containing the gene into a blood vessel supplying the heart or into a peripheral ischemic tissue.

Abstract: The present invention relates to methods and compositions for enhancing cardiac function in mammalian hearts by inserting transgenes that increase beta-adrenergic responsiveness within the myocardium. The present invention can thus be used in the treatment of heart disease, especially congestive heart failure.

Abstract: The present invention relates to methods and compositions for enhancing cardiac function in mammalian hearts by inserting transgenes that increase &bgr;-adrenergic responsiveness within the myocardium. The present invention can thus be used in the treatment of heart disease, especially congestive heart failure.

Abstract: The transgene-inserted replication-deficit adenovirus vector is effectively used in in vivo gene therapy for peripheral vascular disease and heart disease, including myocardial ischemia, by a single intra-femoral artery or intracoronary injection directly conducted deeply in the lumen of the one or both femoral or coronary arteries (or graft vessels) in an amount sufficient for transfecting cells in a desired region.

Abstract: The transgene-inserted replication-deficit adenovirus vector is effectively used in in vivo gene therapy for peripheral vascular disease and heart disease, including myocardial ischemia, by a single intra-femoral artery or intracoronary injection directly conducted deeply in the lumen of the one or both femoral or coronary arteries (or graft vessels) in an amount sufficient for transfecting cells in a desired region.

Abstract: The transgene-inserted replication-deficit adenovirus vector is effectively used in in vivo gene therapy for peripheral vascular disease and heart disease, including myocardial ischemia, by a single intra-femoral artery or intracoronary injection directly conducted deeply in the lumen of the one or both femoral or coronary arteries (or graft vessels) in an amount sufficient for transfecting cells in a desired region.