Mayo Clinic scientists develop “Origami” stem cell patch for heart failure

USA—Scientists at Mayo Clinic in Arizona have developed a groundbreaking treatment for severe heart failure that could transform how doctors repair damaged hearts.

The innovative approach uses lab-grown heart tissue made from reprogrammed adult stem cells, delivered through a tiny incision rather than opening the entire chest cavity.

In preclinical testing, this stem cell patch successfully restored heart function and improved healing in damaged hearts.

“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, senior author of the study published in Acta Biomaterialia and a cardiovascular researcher at Mayo Clinic in Arizona.

The Challenge of Heart Attack Damage

Heart attacks remain one of the leading causes of death worldwide.

When blood flow to the heart becomes blocked, oxygen-starved cells die and are replaced by scar tissue that cannot contract or conduct electrical signals.

This weakens the heart’s ability to pump blood effectively throughout the body.

“The adult human heart doesn’t regenerate once those cells are lost,” Dr. Zhu explained.

“That’s why heart failure, especially chronic heart failure due to the loss of functional cardiac muscle, is often difficult to treat; the muscle simply can’t repair itself.”

The Limitations of Previous Treatments

For years, scientists have been developing methods to replace damaged tissue with healthy heart cells derived from stem cells.

Researchers can reprogram ordinary adult cells, such as skin or blood cells, into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), then coax them into becoming replacement heart cells.

Early efforts showed promise, but most required open-heart surgery—a procedure too risky for many patients already struggling with severe heart failure.

Safely and effectively delivering engineered heart tissues made from these cells has remained a major challenge.

An Origami Solution

In collaboration with engineers at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, Mayo researchers developed a flexible, paper-thin patch made of nano- and microfibers coated with gelatin.

This hybrid scaffold supports a blend of human heart muscle cells, blood vessel cells, and fibroblasts—cells that form the tissue’s structural framework—to create a living, beating piece of heart tissue.

Before transplantation, doctors infuse the tissue with bioactive agents, such as fibroblast growth factor 1 and CHIR99021, to promote the growth of new blood vessels and support cell survival once in place.

“The beauty of this design is that it can be folded like a piece of paper, loaded into a slender tube, and delivered precisely where it’s needed through a small incision in the chest. Once in place, it unfolds and adheres naturally to the heart’s surface,” said Dr. Zhu.

Instead of using stitches, the team applied a biocompatible surgical adhesive that holds the patch in place while minimizing additional trauma to the surrounding tissue.

Promising results

Testing in preclinical models demonstrated that the minimally invasive method improved heart function, reduced scarring, enhanced vascular growth, and lessened inflammation compared with conventional approaches.

“Our results show that these engineered tissues not only survive but actually help the heart heal itself. That’s the ultimate goal: to replace what’s lost and restore function,” said Dr. Zhu.

Looking toward the Future

The research aligns closely with Mayo Clinic’s Genesis Initiative, which aims to accelerate discoveries that restore or regenerate human organs and tissues.

Currently, more than 4,000 heart transplants are performed in the United States each year, while thousands more patients die waiting for a donor organ.

Dr. Zhu believes this technology could eventually offer another option for those in need.

“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,” he said.

The Mayo Clinic team plans to advance this work through larger-scale preclinical testing to ensure the therapy’s safety and effectiveness before moving to human clinical trials, a process that Dr. Zhu estimates could take five years or more.

“Heart failure remains a devastating condition. If we can make stem cell treatment accessible to more patients, especially those too fragile for open-heart surgery, we could save lives,” he said.