Injectable Hydrogels for Cardiac Tissue Engineering
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Updated: Feb 11, 2026
Encapsulation of Cardiomyocytes in a Fibrin Hydrogel for Cardiac Tissue Engineering
Published on: September 19, 2011
Brisa Peña1, Melissa Laughter2, Susan Jett1
1Cardiovascular Institute, School of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, University of Colorado Denver Anschutz Medical Campus, 12700 E.19th Avenue, Bldg. P15, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA.
Abstract:
In light of the limited efficacy of current treatments for cardiac regeneration, tissue engineering approaches have been explored for their potential to provide mechanical support to injured cardiac tissues, deliver cardio-protective molecules, and improve cell-based therapeutic techniques. Injectable hydrogels are a particularly appealing system as they hold promise as a minimally invasive therapeutic approach. Moreover, injectable acellular alginate-based hydrogels have been tested clinically in patients with myocardial infarction (MI) and show preservation of the left ventricular (LV) indices and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). This review provides an overview of recent developments that have occurred in the design and engineering of various injectable hydrogel systems for cardiac tissue engineering efforts, including a comparison of natural versus synthetic systems with emphasis on the ideal characteristics for biomimetic cardiac materials.
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