Advances in hydrogel drug delivery systems for myocardial infarction treatment.
10.3724/zdxbyxb-2025-0087
- Author:
Jia YANG
1
;
Zheng ZHOU
2
;
Xiahong XIE
2
;
Mingzhou YE
3
Author Information
1. Department of Chemistry, College of Sciences, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China. jyang2023@sinano.ac.cn.
2. Division of Nanobiomedicine, Suzhou Institute of Nano-Tech and Nano-Bionics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou 215123, Jiangsu Province, China.
3. Division of Nanobiomedicine, Suzhou Institute of Nano-Tech and Nano-Bionics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou 215123, Jiangsu Province, China. mzye2021@sinano.ac.cn.
- Publication Type:English Abstract
- Keywords:
Drug delivery system;
Hydrogel;
Myocardial infarction;
Review;
Stimuli-responsive materials
- MeSH:
Hydrogels/chemistry*;
Myocardial Infarction/drug therapy*;
Humans;
Drug Delivery Systems/methods*;
Biocompatible Materials;
Drug Carriers
- From:
Journal of Zhejiang University. Medical sciences
2025;54(4):455-468
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
Myocardial infarction is a cardiovascular disease with high morbidity and mortality rates. Hydrogel biomaterials mimicking the extracellular matrix have recently been shown to demonstrate excellent biocompatibility, low immunogenicity, favorable biodegradability, and multifunctionality, showcasing significant potential for treatment of myocardial infarction. Hydrogels can provide mechanical support to the damaged myo-cardium, alleviating pathological remodeling. Moreover, their porous structure makes them ideal carriers for localized and sustained drug delivery. Hydrogels derived from various matrices-including polysaccharides, polypeptides, proteins, decellularized extracellular matrix, and synthetic polymers-exhibit distinct properties in terms of biocompatibility, mechanical performance, and drug delivery capacity. These hydrogels support tissue regeneration and enable targeted release of diverse therapeutics, meeting the various therapeutic demands for myocardial repair. In the infarcted myocardial microenvironment, endogenous signals such as low pH, specific enzyme expression, and elevated levels of reactive oxygen species can trigger responsive drug release from hydrogels, while external physical stimuli-such as ultrasound, light, and magnetic fields-can also be employed to precisely control the release process, thereby enhancing therapeutic efficacy and reducing systemic side effects. This review summarizes recent advances in hydrogel-based drug delivery systems for treatment of myocardial infarction, focusing particularly on the characteristics and advantages of different hydrogel materials for myocardial repair. Furthermore, the responsive drug release behavior of hydrogels is analyzed in the context of the cardiac injury microenvironment, providing a reference for future research.
