A team of researchers at ETH Zurich has developed a revolutionary 3D-printed cardiac patch, dubbed RCPatch, that shows real promise in repairing heart damage—without relying on animal-derived materials.
Unlike conventional bovine pericardial patches, RCPatch consists of a biodegradable polymer scaffold embedded with living heart muscle cells delivered via hydrogel. This enables the patch to not only seal heart tissue damage but also actively support tissue regeneration, delivering strong integration without triggering calcification or thrombosis—the common issues with foreign implants .
In preclinical tests, RCPatch was successfully attached to a living pig’s heart, where it withstood normal blood pressure and maintained cardiac function post-application, marking a critical advancement toward safer, more natural heart repair methods
