Groundbreaking Biomaterial Heals Tissues From the Inside Out

The biomaterial is based on a hydrogel developed at UC San Diego. Credit: David Baillot/University of California San Diego

“This biomaterial allows for treating damaged tissue from the inside out,” said Karen Christman, a professor of bioengineering at the, and the lead researcher on the team that developed the material. “It’s a new approach to regenerative engineering.” There are an estimated 785,000 new heart attack cases in the United States each year, and there is no established treatment for repairing the resulting damage to cardiac tissue. After a heart attack, scar tissue develops, which diminishes muscle function and can lead to congestive heart failure.

The team wanted to develop a treatment that could be administered immediately after a heart attack. This meant developing a biomaterial that could be infused into a blood vessel in the heart at the same time as other treatments such as angioplasty or a stent or injected intravenously. But something else happened. The biomaterial bound to those cells, closing the gaps and accelerating the healing of the blood vessels, reducing inflammation as a result. Researchers tested the biomaterial in a porcine model of heart attack as well, with similar results.

Health Health Latest News, Health Health Headlines

Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.

Groundbreaking healthcare for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities - WashingtonianOur current healthcare system is leaving people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) behind. Across the United States, people with IDD—particularly adults—struggle to access primary and specialty healthcare that meets their needs and delivers improved health outcomes. These barriers to access have serious consequences: People with IDD have a significantly shorter life expectancy than the
Source: washingtonian - 🏆 74. / 68 Read more »