Scientists have developed a biodegradable gel that could repair the damage caused by a heart attack. Biodegradability means that the material is broken down by bacteria or other biological agents.
According to a foreign news agency, experts from the University of Manchester in the United Kingdom, in collaboration with the British Heart Foundation, have developed a gel that can be injected directly into the beating heart. This gel works to keep the cells in one place. So that new tissue can be formed.
In the past, when cells were implanted into the heart to reduce the risk of heart failure, only 1 percent of the cells remained in place. This gel is made up of amino acids called peptides. It is the basic element that makes up proteins.
The gel stays like a liquid under pressure, which is the best way to inject it into the heart, and then the peptides rearrange to solidify it, and that way the cells stay in place. Better blood flow is important for the implanted cells to form new tissue for successful results.
To prove the technology's success, the researchers reported that the gel could support the growth of normal heart tissue.