With the combination of organic and engineered parts, a new cyborg heart patch may potentially treat tissue permanently damaged by heart attacks and cardiac disease.

According to researchers from Tel Aviv University (TAU), Professor Tal Dvir and Ph.D. student Ron Feiner of TAU’s Department of Biotechnology, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, and Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, the patch's capabilities surpass human tissue alone, since it is able to contract and expand like real human heart tissue but also regulate itself like a machine. “We first ensured that the cells would contract in the patch, which explains the need for organic material,” said Dvir, in a statement.

The patch not only replaces organic tissue but ensures proper functioning through remote monitoring.
If a patient was feeling unwell, the doctor would be able to log onto his computer and into the patient’s file in real time, stated Dvir. He would view the data remotely from sensors embedded in the synthetic tissue and, if necessary, activate the appropriate drugs to regenerate the tissue, such as growth factors or small molecules.

In time, Dvir would like the patch to regulate itself without any assistance. If it senses any inflammation, it would perhaps be able to release an anti-inflammatory drug. If it sensed a lack of oxygen, it would release molecules that recruit blood-vessel-forming cells.

Currently, the demand for heart transplants vastly exceeds access, and perhaps one day a cyborg patch will mitigate the need for such procedures. According to the United Network for Organ Sharing, 22 people die each day waiting for a transplant in the U.S. and every ten minutes someone is put on the waiting list.

Further research will be conducted by Dvir and his team to examine how this new concept could be applied to the brain and spinal cord to treat neurological conditions.

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