Scientists have obtained a material from seaweed that increases the chances of successful results in heart bypass surgery. An article about this was published in Bioactive Materials.
During a heart bypass, doctors restore blood flow to certain areas of the heart that have been cut off by blockages in the blood vessels. To do this, additional small vessels are transplanted into the heart, but, like the previous ones, they can also be blocked by a thrombus.
In this regard, experts from the University of Waterloo have created a material from seaweed that promotes the growth of vascular cells and improves the properties of their walls. The material, called fucoidan, has a microstructure similar to heparin, a drug used as an anticoagulant.
The material is applied as a thin layer to the inner surface of the transplanted vessel using micropatterning, a technology used in the electronics industry. As a result, the number of complications after surgeries is reduced and the risk of recurrent occlusion that would otherwise require a new surgery is reduced.
Source: Gazeta
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