Related Experiment Video
Updated: Nov 5, 2025
Preclinical Model of Hind Limb Ischemia in Diabetic Rabbits
Published on: June 2, 2019
Hydrogel-based therapeutic angiogenesis: An alternative treatment strategy for critical limb ischemia
Zheng Xing1, Chen Zhao2, Siwen Wu3
1Key Laboratory for Biomechanics and Mechanobiology of Ministry of Education, Beijing Advanced Innovation Centre for Biomedical Engineering, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing, 100191, PR China.
Insights
Hydrogel-based therapeutic angiogenesis offers a promising new strategy for critical limb ischemia (CLI), a severe form of peripheral arterial disease (PAD). This approach aims to stimulate blood vessel growth, potentially avoiding amputation for patients ineligible for conventional treatments.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Regenerative Medicine
- Vascular Biology
Background:
- Critical limb ischemia (CLI) is the most severe form of peripheral arterial disease (PAD), often leading to limb loss.
- Conventional treatments for CLI have limitations and are not suitable for all patients.
- Therapeutic angiogenesis presents a potential alternative by promoting new blood vessel formation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review hydrogel-based strategies for therapeutic angiogenesis in treating CLI.
- To discuss the advantages and challenges of using hydrogels for CLI therapy.
- To explore future directions in hydrogel-based CLI treatment.
Main Methods:
- Review of current literature on hydrogel applications in therapeutic angiogenesis for CLI.
- Analysis of hydrogel properties, including biocompatibility and drug/cell delivery capabilities.
- Discussion of in vivo approaches and clinical considerations.
Main Results:
- Hydrogels serve as effective carriers for bioactive molecules and cells, crucial for therapeutic angiogenesis.
- Hydrogel-based systems offer precise delivery, controlled release, and preservation of cargo bioactivity.
- This strategy holds potential for augmenting perfusion and restoring limb function in CLI patients.
Conclusions:
- Hydrogel-based therapeutic angiogenesis is a viable and innovative strategy for CLI treatment.
- Further research and development are needed to overcome existing challenges and optimize clinical application.
- This approach offers a promising alternative for patients with CLI who are not candidates for traditional therapies.
Abstract:
Critical limb ischemia (CLI) is the most severe clinical manifestation of peripheral arterial disease (PAD), resulting in the total or partial loss of limb function. Although the conventional treatment strategy of CLI (e.g., medical treatment and surgery) can improve blood perfusion and restore limb function, many patients are unsuitable for these strategies and they still face the threats of amputation or death. Therapeutic angiogenesis, as a potential solution for these problems, attempts to manipulate blood vessel growth in vivo for augment perfusion without the help of extra pharmaceutics and surgery. With the rise of interdisciplinary research, regenerative medicine strategies provide new possibilities for treating many clinical diseases. Hydrogel, as an excellent biocompatibility material, is an ideal candidate for delivering bioactive molecules and cells for therapeutic angiogenesis. Besides, hydrogel could precisely deliver, control release, and keep the bioactivity of cargos, making hydrogel-based therapeutic angiogenesis a new strategy for CLI therapy. In this review, we comprehensively discuss the approaches of hydrogel-based strategy for CLI treatment as well as their challenges, and future directions.
Related Concept Videos
01:10Mechanism of Angiogenesis
01:24Regulation of Angiogenesis and Blood Supply