Rescue Electrical Conduction of Heart Scar Tissue to Diminish Cardiac Arrhythmia

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Heart attacks and heart failure are the main causes of disability and death around the world**and in Canada. After a heart attack, the death of muscle cells causes a scar to form in the**heart. This scar stops the normal path of electrical signals that allows the heart to beat in a**coordinated fashion to efficiently eject blood from the heart. In addition, the disrupted signals**can induce extra inefficient heart beats (arrhythmia). Patients with abnormal conduction or**arrhythmias often need a pacemaker, but electrical stimulation of the heart from the**pacemaker disrupts the normal beating sequence and induces dysfunction of the heart. Both**heart attack and the electrical stimulation result in abnormal signal conduction in the heart.**We will create new conductive biomaterials which will repair the heart and properly conduct**electrical signals across the scar following a heart attack. The new materials will enhance the**transmission of electrical signals that control the pumping of the heart. The goal is to restore**the normal pattern of coordinated heart contraction for heart diseases described above. One**biomaterial is a gel that will be injected into the scar tissue to improve the electrical signaling**propagation of the heart. The second biomaterial is a membrane which will be applied to the**surface of the damaged heart. Our new materials are unique because they will facilitate**electrical conduction and keep the heart beating synchronously. We will measure how well**the gel and the membrane conduct electrical signals and how well they coordinate the heart**beats.**Our aim is to provide a new treatment for cardiac patients that will be more effective than**current therapies. This new approach could allow patients to return to their normal lifestyle**and remain active without the need of a pacemaker. The overall impact of our proposed**research is to improve the quality of life for patients, and reduce the burden of heart disease**for both patients and the healthcare system.