Hydrogels: The Miracle Cure for Heart Attacks
Every 40 seconds, someone in the US experiences a heart attack, amounting to an average of 790,000 cases annually. A heart attack occurs when there is reduced blood flow to a section of the heart, resulting in damaged tissue or dead cells. One out of every five heart attacks is show no other symptoms, but damage is still done to the muscle. Following a heart attack, the heart muscles are weakened, resulting in thinner chamber walls and a frail heart. With cardiovascular disease on the rise—nearly half of adults in the U.S. are afflicted—researchers are coming up with a new treatment plan: using hydrogels to repair the heart following a heart attack.
There is no current cure to repair the damage done after a heart attack as scar tissue forms around the heart and diminishes the efficacy of the muscles, leading to heart failure. Now, a company called Ventrix, based at the University of California, San Diego, has successfully conducted the first successful human trial of using an injectable hydrogel to repair the damage, stimulate muscle regeneration, and restore cardiac function.
VentriGel, the hydrogel compound injected into the heart, works as a scaffold that facilitates a curative environment for healthy cells to repopulate. The hydrogel substance is made from cardiac connective tissue from pigs. It is then stripped of the heart muscle cells the human body would reject and run through an extensive cleansing process. Afterward, it is freeze-dried and converted to a powder form to be liquified into an injectable, semi-solid and porous fluid for the minimally invasive procedure.
The main goal of the Phase 1 trial was to evaluate the safety and feasibility of VentriGel in 7 patients who suffered a heart attack within the past year and 8 who suffered a heart attack three or more years ago. Following the injection into the damaged regions of the heart and patient tracking for six months after the treatment, the Ventrix team reported that the hydrogel was effective and showed no adverse effects. In fact, VentriGel nearly restored the damaged heart chamber walls to their original condition before the heart attack. The trial completed its goal to measure the effects of the hydrogel and whether it improves cardiac function of the patients and helps them walk longer distances enabled by improved heart health.
Following the success of Phase 1, Ventrix is preparing for the Phase 2 clinical trial consisting of a larger, randomized trial. While this FDA-approved Phase 1 clinical trial is monumental progress, there is still much work to be done in this field of research. In the coming years, hydrogel treatment may be able to terminate deaths due to heart failure following a heart attack.
References
Hydrogel to repair heart proves safe to inject in humans. (2019, September 12). Retrieved from https://physicsworld.com/a/hydrogel-to-repair-heart-proves-safe-to-inject-in-humans/#targetText=Hydrogel.
FDA phase 1 trial shows hydrogel to repair heart is safe to inject in humans – a first. (2019, September 11). Retrieved from https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/09/190911142821.htm.
Heart Attack Facts & Statistics. (2017, August 18). Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/heartdisease/heart_attack.htm.
Sandoiu, A. (2019, February 2). Cardiovascular deaths on the rise in the US. Retrieved from https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/324351.php#targetText.