A biological “patch” developed in Italy to repair a damaged heart: tested on mice with chronic myocardial ischemia, it preserved heart function and dramatically increased survival. The finding, which represents a step forward in the field of regenerative medicine, is published in the journal Scientific Reports by the team coordinated by Antonio Musaro, a professor at Sapienza University in Rome and at the Pasteur Institute, Italy.

Researchers, who obtained an innovative engineered muscle tissue called X-Met (Engineered Tissue for Muscle eX-vivo) ten years ago, discovered that through mechanical stimulation it is possible to trigger a functional remodeling process that transforms it into a structure similar to heart muscle. . This finding was supported by molecular and functional analyzes that showed that reconstituted X-Met expresses important markers typical of functioning cardiomyocytes (cardiomyocytes).

The most promising results came from experiments in a mouse model of chronic myocardial ischemia. Implantation of X-Met not only preserved cardiac function, but also significantly increased survival in transplanted mice by modulating the inflammatory response and reducing fibrosis in the damaged heart.