Nanotechnology research reveals possible heart repair method

US scientists have utilised nanotechnology to create a potential new method of restoring and repairing areas of the heart that have been damaged.

Researchers from Brown University allied with an Indian team to create a scaffold-like structure consisting of carbon nanofibers and a special polymer, which can be applied to areas of the heart deadened by events such as heart attacks.

It was found that this nanopatch was able to stimulate the regeneration of cardiomyocytes and neurons, suggesting that dead areas of the heart can possibly be brought back to life using this method.

The scientists noted that the scaffold's effectiveness is partly due to its elastic, durable nature and ability to expand and contract in the same way as heart tissue.

David Stout, a graduate student in the School of Engineering at Brown, said: "This whole idea is to put something where dead tissue is to help regenerate it, so that you eventually have a healthy heart."

Earlier this month, research into nanotechnology by a UCLA team yielded a new type of nanoparticle that could be used as a cancer drug delivery method.