Health. Argentinians develop an injectable bioactive hydrogel to repair damaged heart tissue

With promising preclinical results, the initiative offers an innovative alternative to therapies that fail to reverse heart damage following a heart attack.

Article published in La Voz - April 23, 2026. Read it in spanish.

The Argentine startup Amnova Biotech is currently developing a regenerative therapy to repair heart damage following a heart attack. It is based on an injectable bioactive hydrogel inspired by human birth tissues.

The goal of the biomimetic gel is to reduce heart damage and improve heart function through the sustained release of recombinant regenerative factors, without using cells or components of animal origin. According to the World Heart Federation, heart failure is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide and affects more than 64 million people. However, current treatment options—such as drug therapies, angioplasties, bypass surgeries, or transplants—fail to reverse the damage to the muscle. As a result, millions of patients live with irreversible heart function loss, which directly impacts their quality of life and generates high costs for healthcare systems.

In this context, Amnova Biotech offers an alternative that aims to shift from palliative treatments to regenerative solutions that combine biotechnology, applied science, and local development.

The startup is part of the portfolio of the Center for Technological, Business, and Social Innovation (Cites), the venture capital fund of the Sancor Seguros Group. The latter specializes in deep tech and supports scientific startups with global potential from their earliest stages by providing capital, infrastructure, and a network of experts. The Origin and Development of the Project

Pilar Ferrer is a biologist and CEO of Amnova. The hydrogel originated from her doctoral thesis project at the University of Buenos Aires (UBA). To develop it, she began working in partnership with the Argentine Amniotic Membrane Tissue Bank (AMNIOS BMA), which holds samples with beneficial properties for cardiovascular health.

“Through this partnership, we began to see results that were very positive but still very preliminary. With the lack of funding two years ago, a colleague suggested we put together a business plan and apply for private funding. That’s how we joined Cites and were able to make it a reality,” Ferrer told La Voz. This is a cell-free technology designed to mimic key biological signals that promote regenerative processes. When injected directly into the damaged area of the heart, the hydrogel delivers bioactive compounds that stimulate vascularization and cell division in the heart muscle, allowing it to regenerate and repair itself.