Injectable Hydrogel for Heart Repairs
November 29, 2016 | Terry Sharrer
Hyaluronic acid exists naturally in many human tissues (extracellular matrix) and comes commercially from recombinant Bacillus subtilis. It has a roll in cell proliferation and migration; so, it’s not surprising that University of Pennsylvania researchers have used it as an injectable hydrogel for heart repairs. Some studies have shown that cells could be encapsulated for this purpose, but in the control tissues that had no cells, the hyaluronic acid had remarkable repair properties of its own—in effect creating a home in the heart for cells to reside. A minimally invasive injection was all it took to introduce the liquid hydrogel, which stiffened to give damaged tissue support. MORE WITH VIDEO
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