Other researchers have constructed biodegradable scaffolding on which to grow different types of tissue, but heart tissue poses particular technical challenges. Heart tissue must be flexible enough to change shape as the heart contracts, but also strong enough to withstand the intense forces generated by these contractions. So, the researchers used a polymer…. “It’s elastic like a rubber band,” Engelmayr says, so it can withstand repeated stretching while only gradually losing strength as it degrades [Technology Review].
In the study, published in Nature Materials [subscription required], researchers found that an accordion-like polymer structure caused the cells to contract in one direction, while remaining rigid in the other direction. In the short term, researchers say the heart simulacrum would be useful for testing heart drugs in the lab. If the system is approved for human use, the technology could eventually be used for “patches” to mend the hearts of patients who have had damaged tissue removed after a heart attack, or for children with congenital heart defects. http://louis-j-sheehan-esquire.blog.friendster.com/
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