Biodegradable microsphere offers hope for repairing tissue damaged by heart attack
03 August 2021
The Regeneration Game
It may only be a quarter of a millimetre wide, but this specially engineered biodegradable microsphere could be the key to repairing the damage caused by loss of blood flow to heart muscle during a heart attack. Because the heart only has a limited ability to repair itself, this damage leads to an increased risk of heart failure. Researchers are now testing whether microspheres packed with lab-grown heart muscle cells can be delivered directly into the heart to repair any damage. Nearly a million people in the UK are affected by heart failure – a figure that’s rising as more people than ever are surviving a heart attack. More research is needed to ensure that these tiny microspheres are a safe and effective treatment for people who have had a heart attack, but they offer hope that we may be able to help heal their broken hearts in the future.
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