The patch, placed on the heart after a heart attack, can help both heal and regenerate cardiac tissue. MIT said its engineers designed the patch to carry several different drugs capable of release at different times on a pre-programmed schedule.

In a study of rats, the researchers demonstrated that the treatment reduced the amount of damaged heart tissue by 50%. According to the MIT website, findings also included significantly improved cardiac function.

The researchers say that, if approved for use in humans, the patch could help heart attack victims recover more cardiac function than currently possible.