Chinese scientists create new two-faced hydrogel that could repair hearts better, faster after an attack

Placement of cardiac patches after a heart attack may cause fresh damage to the muscles and tissue adhesion in the area

New hydrogel could help to reduce mortality by lowering inflammation and boosting post-operative recovery, Chinese team says in recent paper

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Heart attacks are a leading cause of death worldwide. Photo: Shutterstock

Published: 9:58pm, 27 Dec 2022Updated: 10:19pm, 27 Dec 2022

Chinese scientists say they have developed a new kind of hydrogel to repair damaged heart tissue, in a promising breakthrough that could reduce the risk of death from cardiac arrest.

Myocardial infarction, the medical term for heart attacks, is a leading cause of death worldwide. According to World Health Organization, about 27 per cent of all global deaths in 2019 were due to heart attack and stroke.

Surviving patients tend to develop scar tissue as the damaged heart muscles heal, and traditional drug treatment can only relieve symptoms or lower future risk but not repair the damaged tissue.

Larger scars also increase the chances of future attacks and death.

Doctors will often use cardiac patches, made of lab-grown biocompatible materials, to replace the damaged heart muscles – or myocardium – and help restore normal functioning of the organ.

However, the transplant surgery may cause fresh damage to the delicate myocardium and lead to tissue adhesion in the area.

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