ALTHOUGH the possibility is several years away, people may one day be helped to recover from heart attacks by having specially engineered patches that have been seeded with cardiac cells placed over the damaged tissue in their hearts. The idea is that these cell-impregnated patches will encourage the regeneration of heart muscle. Laboratory studies using animals suggest the advantages could be so great that it is worth the risk of the surgery needed to put such patches in place; they might even provide an alternative to heart transplants. The problem is finding a suitable way to make the patches stay put.
Stitching is one possibility, but sutures bring risks. They might block the blood supply to the vulnerable area, or injure nearby healthy tissue, or cause haemorrhages. They might also introduce harmful bacteria. Nor is gluing—an obvious alternative to stitching—much better in practice. Some glues stiffen with age. Some are mildly toxic. Some...Continue reading
Source: Science and technology https://ift.tt/2GyRcP7
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