Meeting on the Med 2022 | Restoring cardiac tissue with omentum-based hydrogel implants

Asaf Toker, MD, Matricelf, Ness Ziona, Israel, describes of the development of an autologous omental hydrogel to treat damaged cardiac tissue after a myocardial infarction. In a similar fashion to neural implants for spinal cord injuries also produced by Matricelf, the novel therapy utilizes autologous omental tissue that is decellularized to make a thermo-responsive hydrogel. Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) derived from the patient’s peripheral blood subsequently differentiates into cardiac tissue when attached to the hydrogel. The implant can either be surgically attached on the injured tissue or can be injected and then solidify once in the body. This interview was conducted during Meeting on the Mediterranean 2022.