Injectable Conductive Hydrogel Patch with Spatiotemporally Tailored Asymmetric Adhesion for Myocardial Infarction...

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Cardiovascular Engineering
• Regenerative Medicine

Background:

• Conventional cardiac patches have limitations including invasive surgery, poor adhesion, and inadequate electromechanical integration for myocardial infarction (MI) repair.
• Existing therapies often fail to achieve optimal therapeutic efficacy due to these challenges.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present GRAXe, an injectable hydrogel patch designed for minimally invasive cardiac repair.
• To address limitations of conventional patches by incorporating asymmetric adhesion, biomimetic conductivity, and inflammation-modulating capabilities.

Main Methods:

• GRAXe utilizes a Janus structure created via sequential Ca2+-induced and UV-directed crosslinking, forming an asymmetric interpenetrating network.
• Myocardium adhesion is achieved through MXene-enhanced catechol coupling, while an anti-adhesive surface is formed by dense polymer entanglement.
• Conductivity is enhanced by MXene, and reactive oxygen species-responsive thioketal networks are incorporated for inflammation modulation.

Main Results:

• GRAXe exhibits a 60-150-fold adhesion contrast between its interfaces.
• The hydrogel patch demonstrates a conductivity of 1.18 mS cm-1, restoring electrical synchrony via connexin-43 coupling.
• In rat MI models, GRAXe improved electromechanical coupling, attenuated ventricular remodeling, and enhanced cardiac function.

Conclusions:

• GRAXe presents a modular strategy integrating structural programmability with functional performance for cardiac repair.
• This injectable hydrogel patch offers a promising, minimally invasive approach for myocardial infarction treatment.
• The asymmetric adhesion and biomimetic conductivity of GRAXe significantly improve cardiac repair outcomes.