Gold patches could be flashy way to fix damaged heart tissue
Damaged tissue resulting from myocardial infarction could one day be repaired with specially engineered patches seeded with cardiac cells to encourage the regeneration of healthy cells in the muscle.
While researchers have been successful in laboratory testing, they still face challenges determining how the patches will stay in place—with both sutures and glue proving to be poor options.
Tal Dvir, PhD, a researcher at Tel Aviv University in Israel, is working on preliminary cardiac scaffolding that can secure the patches using light and gold. The scaffolding is built by mixing albumin and a solution of beta-mercaptoethanol and trifluoroethanol. The mixture is then dipped in golden particles to attach to the heart before the cardiac cells are also attached. The laser is then placed over the scaffolding to fuse it to the heart.
While the product still has “a long way to go,” the patches are being touted as potential alternatives to transplants.
Read the entire story on The Economist’s website at the link below:
As a senior news writer for TriMed, Subrata covers cardiology, clinical innovation and healthcare business. She has a master’s degree in communication management and 12 years of experience in journalism and public relations.