Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 5, 2026

Post-Myocardial Infarction Heart Failure in Closed-chest Coronary Occlusion/Reperfusion Model in Göttingen Minipigs and Landrace Pigs
Published on: April 17, 2021
Microspheres in myocardial infarction therapy
Tailuo Liu1, Ying Hao1, Lifan Xu1
1Laboratory of Cardiac Structure and Function at Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, Department of Cardiology, and Cardiac Structure and Function Research Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, No. 37 Guoxue Street, Chengdu 610041, PR China.
Microspheres offer a promising approach for cardiac repair after myocardial infarction (MI). This review explores their use in delivering therapies to promote heart healing and prevent heart failure.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Cardiovascular Research
- Regenerative Medicine
Background:
- Myocardial infarction (MI) is a primary cause of heart failure, with current treatments lacking cardiac repair capabilities.
- Microspheres are versatile platforms with tunable properties, suitable for therapeutic applications.
- Existing MI interventions improve survival but do not address long-term cardiac remodeling or repair.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review microsphere fabrication techniques and design strategies for myocardial infarction (MI) therapy.
- To summarize preclinical evidence on microsphere delivery routes and applications in cardiac repair.
- To discuss the potential of microsphere-based therapies for accelerating clinical translation in MI treatment.
Main Methods:
- Review of microsphere fabrication methods: emulsion-solvent evaporation, spray drying, electrospraying, and microfluidics.
- Analysis of preclinical data on intramyocardial, epicardial, and intracoronary delivery routes.
- Examination of microsphere applications in bioactive agent delivery, cell therapy, and engineered cardiac tissues.
Main Results:
- Microspheres can be fabricated using various techniques, offering tunable properties for MI therapy.
- Diverse delivery routes (intramyocardial, epicardial, intracoronary) show promise in preclinical studies.
- Microspheres facilitate the delivery of therapeutic agents, cells, and contribute to engineered cardiac tissues.
Conclusions:
- Microsphere-based therapies present a minimally invasive strategy to promote cardiac repair post-MI.
- Further research and design optimization are needed to overcome limitations and accelerate clinical translation.
- Microspheres hold significant potential for improving outcomes in patients with myocardial infarction and heart failure.

