Conducting Polymer Based Flexible and Conductible Heart Patch

Engineering cardiac implants to treat myocardial infarction (MI) has progressively emerged but challenges to mimic structural properties and variability of cardiac tissues with tradi- tional bioconstruct and conventional engineering methods remain. In this work, a synthetic patch with bioactive surface has been prepared to quickly reinstate the functionality of the damaged myocardium. Combination of a composite, soft, and conductive hydrogel based on (3,4- ethylenedioxythiophene):polystyrene-sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS), with polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), a cardiac patch with high electrical conductivity (40 S/cm) and high stretchability (E=5 Mpa), that can stretch until 50 % of its original length has been designed. Our find- ings demonstrate that the material has also a resilience of 10 % cyclic stretching at 1Hz with no loss of conductivity over time. By adding N-cadherin protein using a Steglich esterifica- tion, a bioactive surface has been formed on the cardiac patch, preventing the formation of bacterial biofim (Staphylococcus aureus). This work not only create a structurally approved patch with strong mechanical and conductive properties but also biofunctionality to facilitate biointegration, holding great promise to mitigate the burden from MI.