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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.
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.
