Injectable tissue patch could repair organs without invasive surgery

TORONTO — Researchers at University of Toronto developed an injectable tissue bandage that could repair damaged heart tissues without the need for invasive surgery.

The patch is made of a biocompatible, biodegradable polymer, which is seeded with real heart cells. It can be folded into a needle and injected into the body. Once the patch emerges from the needle, it unfolds itself into a bandage-like shape. It is designed to break down over time and leaving only the new tissue.

"When we saw that the lab-grown cardiac tissue was functional and not affected by the injection process, that was very exciting," Miles Montgomery, a PhD candidate at the university and one of the lead authors of the study said in a press release. "Heart cells are extremely sensitive, so if we can do it with them, we can likely do it with other tissues as well."

The technology has successfully conducted on rats and pigs. Although human trials cannot be conducted in the near future, researchers believe the technology could be applied in tissue regeneration in heart and liver.

The study has been published in the journal Nature Material.