Scientists develop injectable tissue bandage to repair hearts

Scientists from the University of Toronto, Canada have developed an injectable tissue bandage dubbed as AngioChip, smaller than a postage stamp that can repair damaged hearts.
The AngioChip is a tiny patch of heart tissue with its own blood vessels and heart cells beating with a regular rhythm. It is made out of the biocompatible, biodegradable polymer.

Key Facts

Repairing heart tissue destroyed by a heart attack or medical condition with regenerative cells usually requires invasive open-heart surgery which usually poses more risks than potential benefits. The newly developed technique lets researchers to inject a repair patch (AngioChip) using a small needle, without the need to open up the chest cavity. Researchers by injecting the patch into rat hearts have shown that it can improve cardiac function after a heart attack.

Month: Current Affairs - August, 2017