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Mayo Clinic's Stem Cell Patch Aims to Revolutionize Heart Failure Treatment
10 Nov
Summary
- Mayo Clinic team creates lab-grown heart tissue patch using reprogrammed adult stem cells
- Patch can be folded and placed on the heart through a small incision, avoiding open-heart surgery
- Patch helps the heart pump better and reduces scarring in preclinical tests
On November 10, 2025, the Mayo Clinic announced a groundbreaking development in heart repair technology. A team of researchers has created a new way to mend damaged hearts without the need for open-heart surgery.
The team has developed a thin patch of lab-grown heart tissue using reprogrammed adult stem cells. This innovative patch can be folded and placed on the heart through a small incision, avoiding the lengthy recovery process associated with open-heart procedures.
In preclinical tests, the patch has shown promising results. It has helped the heart pump more effectively and reduced scarring, which is a common issue for patients with severe heart failure. "For patients with severe heart failure, there are very few options beyond mechanical pumps or transplants. We hope this approach will offer a new way to repair their own hearts," said Dr. Wuqiang Zhu, a cardiovascular researcher at Mayo Clinic in Phoenix.
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The researchers recently published their findings in the journal Acta Biomaterialia, and they are optimistic that this innovative treatment could one day help patients who are too sick for open-heart surgery or who are waiting for a heart transplant. "Our vision is that patients could one day receive engineered heart tissue made from their own reprogrammed cells, delivered through a minimally invasive procedure -- no donor organ, no long recovery, just a repaired heart," added Zhu.
