A heart attack can leave a heart permanently damaged. However, these new "beating" patches might be able to save the lives of those with damaged hearts. This 3D Bioprinted Organ Just Took Its First "Breath"
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About Heart Attacks
"Scar tissue may form in the damaged area, and that scar tissue does not contract or pump as well as healthy muscle tissue. As a consequence, the extent of damage to the heart muscle can impact how well the heart pumps blood throughout the body."
Lab-grown patch of heart muscle and other cells could fix ailing hearts
"Over the past 20 years, the bioengineer from Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, has been developing a 'patch' that could take the place of the cells destroyed by a heart attack. In rodents, he has found it can hook up to the circulatory system and contract."
Heart patch could limit muscle damage in heart attack aftermath
"Prior research had shown that mechanical patches could be effective, the researchers say, but no one had done any research on what the optimum mechanical properties of such a patch might be. As a result, the thickness and stiffness of potential patches varies widely. And getting those properties right is important."
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