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Controlled Release of Hepatocyte Growth Factor from a Hyaluronic Acid Epicardial Patch

During a Heart Attack the heart muscle has a reduced blood supply and becomes damaged. Delivering proteins called growth factors or stem cells to the heart can help to regenerate the damaged tissue. However, often injected growth factors or stem cells are washed or pumped out due to the beating of the heart and therefore don’t have as strong an effect as they might. The aim of this project is to investigate the potential of incorporating a growth factor into small particles which will release it very slowly. These particles will then be added to a patch which can be attached to the outside of the heart, and combined with stem cells. The patch can help to keep stem cells and growth factors at the site of therapy and will be released into the heart tissue over a long period. This could help to produce a greater healing effect. The final patch system will be assessd in its ability to improve the survival of heart cells grown in plastic flasks, in conditions of low oxygen and nutrients, which are conditions which arise during a heart attack.