Polymeric Biomaterials for the Treatment of Cardiac Post-Infarction Injuries

Abstract

Cardiac regeneration aims to reconstruct the heart contractile mass, preventing the organ from a progressive functional deterioration, by delivering pro-regenerative cells, drugs, or growth factors to the site of injury. In recent years, scientific research focused the attention on tissue engineering for the regeneration of cardiac infarct tissue, and biomaterials able to anatomically and physiologically adapt to the heart muscle have been proposed as valuable tools for this purpose, providing the cells with the stimuli necessary to initiate a complete regenerative process. An ideal biomaterial for cardiac tissue regeneration should have a positive influence on the biomechanical, biochemical, and biological properties of tissues and cells; perfectly reflect the morphology and functionality of the native myocardium; and be mechanically stable, with a suitable thickness. Among others, engineered hydrogels, three-dimensional polymeric systems made from synthetic and natural biomaterials, have attracted much interest for cardiac post-infarction therapy. In addition, biocompatible nanosystems, and polymeric nanoparticles in particular, have been explored in preclinical studies as drug delivery and tissue engineering platforms for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases. This review focused on the most employed natural and synthetic biomaterials in cardiac regeneration, paying particular attention to the contribution of Italian research groups in this field, the fabrication techniques, and the current status of the clinical trials.

Hydrogels and Hydrogel Nanocomposites: Enhancing Healthcare through Human and Environmental Treatment

“…The use of injectable hydrogels for cell therapy, resaturation of blood flow, regulation of cardiovascular tissues, and delivery of other beneficial molecules have shown promising results in cardiac repair following MI, all of which is attributed to the hydrogel's increased biocompatibility, tunable biodegradability, properly tunable mechanical strength, and porous structure. [ 238–240 ]…”

“…The use of injectable hydrogels for cell therapy, resaturation of blood flow, regulation of cardiovascular tissues, and delivery of other beneficial molecules have shown promising results in cardiac repair following MI, all of which is attributed to the hydrogel's increased biocompatibility, tunable biodegradability, properly tunable mechanical strength, and porous structure. [238][239][240] Endogenously produced nitric oxide (NO) performs an important role in protecting and regulating cardiac function though vascular-dependent and independent functions. [241][242][243] Vong et al have recently developed a NO-releasing redox injectable hydrogel (NO-RIG) showing therapeutic potential in cardiovascular disorder by controlling the NO levels and simultaneously the redox equilibrium at the injection site.…”

Artificial Scaffolds in Cardiac Tissue Engineering

“…Pores allow cell migration and facilitate nutrient supplementation [ 1 , 49 ]. Scaffolds should have 50–90% permeability to promote the diffusion of nutrients, oxygen, and other fluids [ 53 ].…”

“…They have the capability to be replaced when mature cells produce their own ECM. Using synthetic materials in cardiac tissue engineering has grown in recent years, with emphasis on developing patches for cardiac repair with the use of biodegradable polymers, such as poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL), poly(glycerol sebacate) (PGS), polyethylene glycol (PEG), poly(l-lactide acid) (PLLA), poly l-lactic-co-ε-caprolactone (PLCL), and poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) [ 53 ]. In the early part of the 21st century, Matsubayashi et al developed a porous PCL cardiac patch seeded with VSMC with the intent of repairing an aneurysm and designed to prevent ventricular dilation post-myocardial infarction [ 88 ].…”

“…In the search for natural biomaterials, researchers have investigated the individual components of the ECM as platforms. Many biomaterials for scaffold construction, such as collagen, fibrinogen, silk, alginate, and chitosan, are under investigation [ 53 , 93 , 94 , 95 , 96 ].…”