Little known scary medical fact: More than 25% of the people on the national US waiting list for a heart will die before receiving one. And yet heart transplants – and the requests for heart transplants – are on the rise. But what can be done? There's no substitute for a human heart, right?

Up until a very short time ago.

A team of microbiologists and nanotechnology engineers at Tel Aviv University have just created what they are calling a “cyborg heart patch.” It combines organic and engineered parts, and its capabilities actually surpass those of human tissue alone. The patch contracts and expands like human heart tissue but regulates itself like a machine.

The invention is the brainchild of Prof. Tal Dvir and PhD student Ron Feiner of TAU's Department of Microbiology and Biotechnology, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, and Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology. Their study was just published in the journal Nature Materials.

"With this heart patch, we have integrated electronics and living tissue," Dr. Dvir said. "It's very science fiction, but it's already here, and we expect it to move cardiac research forward in a big way.”

In some ways, the bionic patch is superior to the God-given original.  The engineered tissue features electronics that sense tissue function and accordingly provide electrical stimulation. In addition, electroactive polymers are integrated with the electronics. Upon activation, these polymers are able to release medication, such as growth factors or small molecules on demand. And, yes, the bionic patch is on the 'Net.

"Imagine that a patient is just sitting at home, not feeling well," Dr. Dvir said. "His physician will be able to log onto his computer and this patient's file — in real time. He can view data sent remotely from sensors embedded in the engineered tissue and assess exactly how his patient is doing. He can intervene to properly pace the heart and activate drugs to regenerate tissue from afar.”

It's the latest milestone in the Internet of Things, an “iHeart.”

Still to be implemented – part of Dr. Dvir's long-term goals – is for the cardiac patch to be able to regulate its own welfare. If, for example, it senses inflammation, it will release an anti-inflammatory drug. If it senses a lack of oxygen, it will release molecules that recruit blood-vessel-forming cells to the heart.

The team is not stopping at the heart, either. They are currently examining how the cyborg heart patch technologies might apply to the brain and spinal cord to treat neurological conditions.