Injectable Nanoparticle-Enhanced Hydrogel Scaffolds for Targeted Therapeutic Delivery and Myocardial Tissue Engineering Post-Infarction

Myocardial infarction results in permanent cardiomyocyte loss and progressive ventricular remodeling, which often progresses to chronic heart failure given the limited regenerative capacity of adult cardiac tissue. Current systemic therapies and targeted delivery approaches are hindered by rapid systemic clearance and insufficient retention within the dynamic infarct microenvironment. In this work, an injectable bio-responsive hydrogel scaffold integrated with engineered polymeric nanoparticles was developed to enable localized and sustained therapeutic delivery. The hydrogel provided temporary mechanical stabilization of the infarcted ventricular wall, which helped attenuate adverse structural remodeling during the early post-infarction phase. Meanwhile, the nanoparticle system enabled a more controlled release of pro-angiogenic factors together with regulatory microRNAs within the ischemic region. Experimental evaluations indicated that the construct supported high cell compatibility and exhibited a controllable degradation profile that aligned with tissue regeneration timelines. In addition, improved interaction with extracellular matrix components was observed, which appeared to facilitate endothelial cell activity and vascular network formation in vitro and in preclinical settings. Overall, the results pointed to the potential of this combined hydrogel–nanoparticle system as a localized therapeutic platform for myocardial repair and cardiac tissue engineering applications.

کلیدواژه ها:

Injectable hydrogels ، Nanoparticles ، Targeted drug delivery ، Myocardial tissue engineering ، Myocardial infarction