Scientists Have Created A Patch That May Prevent Future Heart Attacks
A Stanford University professor is leading the charge on an innovation that can help to regenerate heart tissue.
Scar tissue in the heart can cause it to pump blood through the body in a less effective manner and can lead to recurring heart attacks and even death.
Scientists have performed tests on pigs and mice who have had heart attacks. They stitched a collagen patch with specific proteins that to the animals hearts and saw that cardiac muscle and even new blood vessels, bringing nutrients to the area, were forming.
They discovered that fish are able to naturally regenerate heart tissue because of the outer layer of their hearts, called the epicardium. The researchers identified 300 proteins within the epicardium, which informed their research when creating the patch.
The patch has the flexibility of fetal heart tissue and is designed to slowly release the proteins into the body so that the heart won't reject the implant. Over time, the implant will just become a part of the body.  For more on this revolutionary treatment option, check out the published research in Nature.Â