Researchers have created groundbreaking implantable patches made from laboratory-grown heart muscle to treat advanced heart failure, affecting over 64 million globally. With heart transplants being limited and existing mechanical solutions costly and complicated, these new patches offer an innovative alternative. They are created from reprogrammed blood cells that eventually develop into heart muscle and connective tissue. This method minimizes risks like tumor growth and irregular heartbeats seen with direct injections. The muscle cells mimic those of a young heart, enhancing healing potential for patients.
According to a recent study, heart failure affects more than 64 million people worldwide, with causes including heart attacks, high blood pressure and coronary artery disease.
The patches are made from cells taken from blood and reprogrammed to act as stem cells, which can develop into any cell type in the body.
We now have, for the first time, a laboratory grown biological transplant available, which has the potential to stabilize and strengthen the heart muscle.
The muscle in the patches had the characteristics of a heart that was just four to eight years old, allowing the implantation of young muscle into patients.
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