Biodegradable copper-containing mesoporous microspheres loaded with ginsenoside Rb1 for infarcted heart repair

The current unavailability of efficient myocardial repair therapies constitutes a significant bottleneck in the clinical management of myocardial infarction (MI). Ginsenoside Rb1 (GRb1) has emerged as a compound with potential benefits in safeguarding myocardial cells and facilitating the regeneration of myocardial tissue. However, its efficacy in treating MI-related ischemic conditions is hampered by its low bioavailability and inadequate angiogenic properties. In this study, the therapeutic potential of GRb1 is enhanced by a mesoporous basic copper carbonate (BCC) microsphere due to its excellent drug delivery capability and steady angiogenic degradation products (copper ions, Cu²⁺). The cell experiments revealed that GRb1 and Cu²⁺ could generate synergistic impacts on anti-cardiomyocyte apoptosis and endothelial cell angiogenesis, while a mouse model of MI illustrated that GRb1 loaded BCC (BCC@GRb1) could significantly enhance cardiac function, diminish the area of infarction and myocardial hypertrophy, reduce cardiomyocyte apoptosis, and augment vascularization within myocardial tissue. This investigation is pioneering in demonstrating the beneficial outcomes of combining drugs with bioactive carriers in myocardial regeneration and introduces a novel, precisely engineered drug delivery system as a potential therapeutic strategy for ischemic heart disease.