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Updated: Jun 29, 2025
Intramyocardial Transplantation of MSC-Loading Injectable Hydrogels after Myocardial Infarction in a Murine Model
Published on: September 20, 2020
Hydrogels for Cardio and Vascular Tissue Repair and Regeneration
Ilenia Motta1, Michelina Soccio2, Giulia Guidotti2
1Alma Mater Institute on Healthy Planet, University of Bologna, Via Massarenti 11, 40138 Bologna, Italy.
Insights
Hydrogels show promise for cardiovascular disease treatment, aiding tissue repair after myocardial infarction and protecting against dangerous arterial aneurysms. This research reviews their potential in regenerative cardiovascular medicine.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Cardiovascular Medicine
- Regenerative Medicine
Background:
- Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading global cause of death.
- Key manifestations include myocardial infarction (MI) and arterial aneurysms (abdominal aortic aneurysm [AAA] and intracranial aneurysm [IA]).
- MI involves heart muscle damage from blocked arteries, while aneurysms are arterial dilations risking rupture and hemorrhage.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the current research on hydrogels for cardiovascular applications.
- To explore hydrogels as a platform for tissue repair in MI.
- To assess hydrogels for functional recovery or protection in aneurysmal dilation.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of hydrogel applications in cardiovascular research.
- Analysis of hydrogel properties relevant to cardiovascular tissue engineering.
- Examination of studies on hydrogels for MI repair and aneurysm management.
Main Results:
- Hydrogels offer biocompatibility and tunable properties for cardiovascular applications.
- They can encapsulate and release bioactive molecules crucial for tissue regeneration.
- Hydrogels present a promising strategy for both MI repair and aneurysm protection.
Conclusions:
- Hydrogels are innovative biomaterials for cardiovascular tissue repair and protection.
- Their application in treating MI and aneurysms is a rapidly developing field.
- Further research holds potential for improved cardiovascular health outcomes.
Abstract:
Cardiovascular disease (CVD), the leading cause of death globally, affects the heart and arteries with a variety of clinical manifestations, the most dramatic of which are myocardial infarction (MI), abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA), and intracranial aneurysm (IA) rupture. In MI, necrosis of the myocardium, scar formation, and loss of cardiomyocytes result from insufficient blood supply due to coronary artery occlusion. Beyond stenosis, the arteries that are structurally and functionally connected to the cardiac tissue can undergo pathological dilation, i.e., aneurysmal dilation, with high risk of rupture. Aneurysms of the intracranial arteries (IAs) are more commonly seen in young adults, whereas those of the abdominal aorta (AAA) are predominantly seen in the elderly. IAs, unpredictably, can undergo rupture and cause life-threatening hemorrhage, while AAAs can result in rupture, internal bleeding and high mortality rate. In this clinical context, hydrogels, three-dimensional networks of water-seizing polymers, have emerged as promising biomaterials for cardiovascular tissue repair or protection due to their biocompatibility, tunable properties, and ability to encapsulate and release bioactive molecules. This review provides an overview of the current state of research on the use of hydrogels as an innovative platform to promote cardiovascular-specific tissue repair in MI and functional recovery or protection in aneurysmal dilation.
