Researchers from Mass General Brigham and collaborating institutions have made a groundbreaking discovery in cardiac therapy. They have developed a non-invasive method to manipulate heart tissue activity using light to stimulate a unique ink incorporated into bioprinted tissue. This innovative approach, demonstrated in preclinical models and published in Science Advances, has the potential to revolutionize heart repair techniques.
The team, led by Y. Shrike Zhang, PhD, from Brigham and Women’s Hospital, successfully showed that the «optoelectronically active» ink allows bioprinted tissue scaffolds to be remotely controlled by light. This means that, for the first time, heart tissues engineered in the lab can generate electrical activity without the need for invasive wires or electrodes. By stimulating these tissues with light, they can even synchronize with and accelerate the heart rate.
This breakthrough not only holds promise for heart repair but could also transform other areas of tissue regeneration. With the proof-of-concept established, the next step for the researchers is to explore how this technology can support long-term tissue regeneration and integrate seamlessly with the body’s natural biology. The potential for non-invasive, light-driven cardiac therapies is now closer than ever to becoming a reality.
Article written by News Medical
24/01/2025
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News Medical