Hydrogel prevents post-infarct cardiac arrhythmia

Heart attacks often lead to tissue damage and life-threatening arrhythmias, as current treatments cannot restore healthy cardiac function. This novel injectable, electrically conductive PEDOT:PSS hydrogel ((poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) polystyrenesulfonate)) is designed to improve electrical signal transmission and allow repairing damaged heart tissue, by cell therapy—offering a promising solution for long-term cardiac recovery. Current therapies for post-infarct cardiac repair are unable to restore lost tissue or reliably prevent arrhythmias. Implantable devices only treat the symptoms but they do not heal the tissue. Drug therapies are only partially effective and can cause side effects. There is an urgent need for new, cell-compatible materials to enable lasting heart regeneration and electrical stability.

This technology combines collagen and PEDOT:PSS to create an injectable, electrically conductive hydrogel that mimics native heart tissue. Unlike standard biomaterials, it restores electrical conductivity in damaged areas and allows ensures safe integration of stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes and effectively restores electrical conductivity in damaged areas. The hydrogel prevents arrhythmias, supports cell therapy, and enables true cardiac tissue regeneration—setting a new standard for post-infarct treatment.

The collagen-PEDOT:PSS hydrogel is an injectable, electrically conductive hydrogel for post-infarct cardiac therapy. It prevents arrhythmias after myocardial infarction and enhances the integration and function of transplanted stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes. The material mimics native heart tissue, enabling new approaches for cardiac regeneration:

• Restores electrical conductivity in infarcted areas, reducing risk of post-infarct arrhythmias
• Injectable hydrogel enables safe integration and maturation of stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes
• Validated in in vivo studies

TRL 4.5