Nature Podcast Heart surgery with quick-setting magnetic fluid could prevent strokes
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Mar 4, 2026 A magnetic hydrogel that can be guided and set quickly to plug the heart’s clot-prone nook is explored through animal trials and long-term outcomes. Wastewater emissions and a queen-only ant species make brief science highlights. Researchers also report lab-made hexagonal diamond and its early tests on hardness and thermal behavior.
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Magnetic Hydrogel Seals Left Atrial Appendage
- A magnetic hydrogel can fill and seal the left atrial appendage to prevent clot formation and strokes.
- Xin Cha's gel stiffens within a minute on contact with blood and conforms to any appendage shape, avoiding damage from rigid occluders.
Researcher Pitched Gel To Heart Surgeons
- Xin Cha pitched her magnetic gel to cardiac doctors and they became very interested in using it to embolise heart appendages.
- The team tested the approach in rats and a pig, and a pig remained healthy two years after the procedure without leaks or clotting.
Magnetic Guidance Enables Placement But Hinders Imaging
- The gel contains magnetic particles so it can be guided into a beating heart with external magnets but those particles remain and can interfere with MRI imaging.
- Guiding requires very strong magnets and specialist equipment, limiting current practicality in surgery.