Improved myocardial performance in infarcted rat heart by injection of disulfide-cross-linked chitosan hydrogels loaded with basic fibroblast growth factor

Abstract

Myocardial infarction (MI) has been considered as the leading cause of cardiovascular-related deaths worldwide. Basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) is a member of the fibroblast growth factors that promotes angiogenesis...

Post-myocardial infarction fibrosis: Pathophysiology, examination, and intervention

“…Biomaterials (e.g., hydrogels, nanocarriers, and cardiac patches) support self-renewal in the injured heart, with reliable biosafety and moderate promise, on-demand biodegradation, and multiple biofunctions to deliver the therapeutic drugs; for instance, a type of hydrogel injected in the peri-infarcted zone promotes fibrotic healing in the infarct zone and inhibits reactive fibrosis and hypertrophy in the remote zone ( Wen et al, 2020 ). Another injectable thermosensitive hydrogel of chitosan/dextran/β-glycerophosphate delivers umbilical cord MSCs to repair the damaged heart ( Ke et al, 2020 ), while injectable disulfide-cross-linked chitosan hydrogel loaded with basic FGF synergistically exerts antifibrotic, antiapoptotic, and proangiogenic effects ( Fu et al, 2022a ). Moreover, a conductive and MMP-degradable hydrogel stabilizes hypoxia-inducible factor 1-α to reduce the infarcted area and inflammation factors, promote vascularization and the expression of junctional protein connexin 43, and recover cardiac function ( Wei et al, 2022 ).…”

Insight into Heart-Tailored Architectures of Hydrogel to Restore Cardiac Functions after Myocardial Infarction

“…After 4 weeks of implantation, the bFGF hydrogel reduced macrophage density, augmented cardiac cell survival/proliferation, decreased collagen content and myofibroblast density and increased blood vessel density, finally improving LV functions. 189,190 Three complementary factors including TIMP-3, bFGF-2 and stromal cell-derived factor 1-α (SDF-1α) were also integrated into one hydrogel system for comprehensive healing of cardiac tissue. 191 4.3.3.…”

“…However, clinic application of bFGF is limited by severe drug-induced side effects, vulnerable proteolytic degradation and low accumulation in vivo . To minimize adverse reactions and increase the local concentration of bFGF, an injectable disulfide cross-linked chitosan hydrogel was prepared as a bFGF delivery system, which displayed a glutathione-triggered degradation behavior and good swelling performance. After 4 weeks of implantation, the bFGF hydrogel reduced macrophage density, augmented cardiac cell survival/proliferation, decreased collagen content and myofibroblast density and increased blood vessel density, finally improving LV functions. , Three complementary factors including TIMP-3, bFGF-2 and stromal cell-derived factor 1-α (SDF-1α) were also integrated into one hydrogel system for comprehensive healing of cardiac tissue …”

Injectable hydrogel with dual-sensitive behavior for targeted delivery of oncostatin M to improve cardiac restoration after myocardial infarction

“…have been widely used as delivery carriers of various bioactive factors for the precise treatment of MI. [22][23][24] CS is well established as a suitable material for use in drug delivery systems: it is widely available, low-cost, biocompatible, and biodegradable. 23,[25][26][27] For example, the CS-based hydrogels show good biocompatibility and mechanical properties similar to the extracellular matrix, thus providing temporary structural support for the damaged myocardium when ventricular expansion is restricted at the infarction site, 28 and the enhanced release of bioactive factors can effectively improve cardiac function by protecting myocardial cells and promoting angiogenesis.…”