Researchers at the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology have pioneered a heart cell transplantation method by engineering molecular carriers. This breakthrough could lay the groundwork for a fresh approach to treating cardiac arrhythmias, a common heart condition. The development was shared with the public through updates from the Ministry of Education and Science.
Arrhythmia refers to an irregular heart rhythm. It often arises when an obstacle disrupts the path of the heart’s excitation wave. In many cases, this obstruction is connective tissue that grows where normal contractile muscle should be.
“This happens when, as in cirrhosis, connective tissue cells replace functioning cells and form an overgrowth that impedes normal activity. In arrhythmias, these obstructive cells behave like weeds among healthy cardiomyocytes. The strategy is to transplant dysfunctional cells — the weeds — with functional ones”, explained Sergey Bakumenko of the Laboratory of Experimental and Cellular Medicine at MIPT.
One natural idea to restore damaged heart tissue is to replace the scar with healthy stem cells from the patient. Yet, this approach has not shown consistent success in studies. Likewise, cultured heart cells do not guarantee survival or seamless integration with host tissue. In many cases, individual cardiomyocytes lose their structure and become fragile and inactive after transplantation.
Overcoming this challenge involves the use of scaffolds — molecular carriers that preserve the architecture of implanted cells and support integration with the heart tissue.
At MIPT, scaffolds made from polymer nanofibers enclose each cell, helping restore excitability just before implantation. They also enable coating with fibronectin, a human protein that improves graft fixation in tissue and can carry fluorescent markers to monitor cell location externally.
“The method leverages polymer nanofiber scaffolds capable of delivering cells. To determine the best delivery route, experiments were conducted in which cells were introduced into the heart of mice via syringe or a tissue patch, all using microcarrier nanofibers. Results showed that cells anchored more effectively to microcarriers, integrating functionally faster and surviving longer”, noted Valeria Tsvelaya, head of the Experimental and Cellular Medicine Laboratory at MIPT, in a discussion about these findings.
Scientists report that the engineered molecular transporters quickly establish electromechanical contact with heart tissue—often within 30 minutes after deployment. This rapid linkage suggests the potential for a new therapeutic technique to address arrhythmias.
These developments reflect ongoing efforts to translate cellular engineering into practical cardiac therapies, offering hope for patients with rhythm disorders while highlighting the need for further validation and clinical testing.
(Source: Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology)