Mussel-Inspired Gel Could Help Prevent Heart Attacks

Dec-15-12 Researchers have created a mussel-inspired gel that could be used to reinforce weakened blood vessels.

The gel, developed by a team at MIT assisted by researchers at the University of British Columbia, was inspired by the mussel’s fibrous adhesive called byssus, which the creature uses to keep itself attached to rocks. Made of a material similar to the amino acid found in the byssus, the gel can withstand the pressure of blood flow through arteries and could be used to strengthen vessel walls at risk of rupture.

Preventing the the rupture of blood vessel plaque is the most promising application of the gel. When a plaque deposit ruptures, the plaque can block blood flow to the heart or brain, triggering a heart attack or a stroke. In tests, mice treated with a combination of the gel and an anti-inflammatory steroid had more stable plaque than the untreated mice in the control group.

Image: Ivan Vicencio

More Info about this Invention:

[GIZMAG.COM]
[UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA]

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