Magnesium patch heals hearts

Fundamental research reveals new possibilities

When muscle cells die in a heart attack, MHH physicians can remove the damaged tissue and replace it with artificial tissue. But only on the right ventricle. On the left, the pressure in the heart is too high, and the patch would stretch or tear. The idea is to fix the patch with a strong but flexible material which dissolves by itself once new tissue has grown into it. Materials engineers at Leibniz Universität make it possible.

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