Heart cell hydrogel heals vessels and tissues from the inside
Researchers have developed a biomaterial that can be injected intravenously to reduce inflammation and restore tissue and cell function after a heart attack.Biologists at the University of California, San Diego, have developed a material to treat the effects of a heart attack. The hydrogel injection could replace tissue grafts to replace scar tissue formed after a heart attack and speed up heart recovery.
After a heart attack, damaged muscle heart tissue is replaced by scar tissue that cannot contract, reducing muscle function and leading to congestive heart failure. Earlier, biologists at the University of California, San Diego, developed a hydrogel made from a natural framework of heart muscle tissue. When injected into damaged heart muscle tissue through a catheter, such material forms a skeleton in damaged areas of the heart, stimulating the growth and repair of new cells.
Now biologists have refined the hydrogel to avoid dangerous effects on the heart immediately after an attack. The new version of the gel can be administered through an intravenous injection. This avoids dangerous effects directly on the weakened heart after a seizure. To create the new gel, scientists put the original version through a centrifuge, which allowed larger particles to be sifted out and left only the nano-sized particles. The finished material was subjected to dialysis and sterile filtration and then freeze-dried.
Testing on rodents showed that the biomaterial binds to endothelial cells within blood vessels, closing gaps, accelerating healing and, as a result, reducing inflammation. Researchers in a heart attack model in a pig gave similar results.
The researchers have requested approval for human clinical trials, which are estimated to begin within one or two years. In addition, the hydrogel authors plan to test its effectiveness in treating brain injury and pulmonary arterial hypertension.