Conductive Biomaterial Re-Synchronizes Heart Tissue to Diminish Cardiac Arrhythmias
- 技術應用
- Treatment for cardiac arrhythmia
- 詳細技術說明
- Novel conductive biomaterial, injectable into myocardial scartissue to diminish cardiac arrhythmias by resynchronizing electrical signaling
- *Abstract
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After a heart attack, the death of muscle cells causes a scar toform on the heart. The scar is composed of fibrous connective tissue whichstops the normal path of electrical signals that make the heart beat in ahealthy rhythm. The disrupted electrical signal conduction can lead to cardiacarrhythmias. Arrhythmias are more common in older individuals and the incidenceis expected to increase over the next several decades as the population ages. Arrhythmiasthat start in the lower chambers of the heart, the ventricles, are particularlyharmful because they can lead to sudden cardiac death. Sudden cardiac death isthe cause of about 15% of global deaths and ventricular arrhythmias account forabout 80% of all sudden cardiac deaths.
Current treatment of cardiac arrhythmias includespharmacotherapy, radiofrequency ablation and use of implantable devices.Although drug therapy remains a standard therapeutic approach, systemic effectsare often poorly tolerated and there is a concern that drug-inducedpro-arrhythmic effects can increase mortality. Thus, the need exists for moreeffective methods to treat or prevent cardiac arrhythmias.
Slowed heart conduction velocity due to a heart attack isassociated with an increased risk of scar-related re-entrant excitation, and inturn, cardiac arrhythmia. Impaired electrical signal conduction could bealleviated by reconnecting disrupted electrical signals in the damaged heartusing conductive biomaterial resynchronization therapy.
UHN Senior ScientistDr. Ren-Ke Li synthesized a novel biocompatible conductive material,polypyrrole (PPy)-chitosan hydrogel that enhances biological conduction invitro and in vivo. This biomaterial can facilitate the spread of the electricalsignals that control the pumping of the heart. Injection of PPy-chitosan bettermaintained heart function after a heart attack than a non-conductive polymer.The next step is to use this biomaterial to treat cardiac arrhythmia patients.Conductive hydrogel in the myocardial scar tissuealtered conductivity and prevented cardiac arrhythmia. 1.Representative picture of conductive material in scar tissue. 2. Program electrical stimulationshowed Results displayed the ECGscores (the degree of inducible PVC or VT by PES) among three groups. The degree of ventricle arrhythmias wassignificantly increased in saline and CHI groups compared with Ppy-CHI group(*P<0.05 and **P<0.01 respectively). 3.Conductive biomaterial altered tissue conductivity.
- *Principal Investigation
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Dr. Ren-Ke Li, University HealthNetwork
- *Publications
- MihicA, Cui Z, Wu J, Miyagi Y, Li SH, Lu S, Sung HW, Weisel RD. Li R-K. A ConductivePolymer Hydrogel Supports Cell Electrical Signaling and Improves CardiacFunction After Implantation into Myocardial Infarction. Circulation. 2015Aug;132(8):772-84. Impact Factor 14.43.
- 國家/地區
- 美國
