Gel that could repair hearts

A BIODEgrADABLE gel could regenerate tissue and repair damage caused by heart attacks, a study suggests.

researchers from the University of Manchester and the British Heart Foundation found the gel could deliver cells directly into a living heart – and help them to flourish and grow.

The gel is made of amino acids called peptides, which are the building blocks of proteins. These can be injected into the heart as a liquid before reassembling as a solid, holding the cells in place as they graft on to the heart. When the team injected the gel into healthy mice, they found it remained in the heart for two weeks.

Study leader Katharine King said: ‘While it’s still early days, the potential this new technology has in helping to repair failing hearts after a heart attack is huge.’

The research was presented at the British Cardiovascular Society conference.