Injectable Peptide Hydrogels Loaded with Murine Embryonic Stem Cells Relieve Ischemia In Vivo after Myocardial Infarction

Abhishek Roy, Lei Hao, Jamie Francisco, Jin Guan, Satvik Mareedu, Peiyong Zhai, Joseph Dodd-O, Corey Heffernan, Dominic Del Re, Eun Jung A. Lee, Vivek A. Kumar

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

1 Scopus citations

Abstract

Myocardial infarction (MI) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, especially in aging and metabolically unhealthy populations. A major target of regenerative tissue engineering is the restoration of viable cardiomyocytes to preserve cardiac function and circumvent the progression to heart failure post-MI. Amelioration of ischemia is a crucial component of such restorative strategies. Angiogenic β-sheet peptides can self-assemble into thixotropic nanofibrous hydrogels. These syringe aspiratable cytocompatible gels were loaded with stem cells and showed excellent cytocompatibility and minimal impact on the storage and loss moduli of hydrogels. Gels with and without cells were delivered into the myocardium of a mouse MI model (LAD ligation). Cardiac function and tissue remodeling were evaluated up to 4 weeks in vivo. Injectable peptide hydrogels synergized with loaded murine embryonic stem cells to demonstrate enhanced survival after intracardiac delivery during the acute phase post-MI, especially at 7 days. This approach shows promise for post-MI treatment and potentially functional cardiac tissue regeneration and warrants large-scale animal testing prior to clinical translation.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)1319-1329
Number of pages11
JournalBiomacromolecules
Volume25
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - Feb 12 2024

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Bioengineering
  • Biomaterials
  • Polymers and Plastics
  • Materials Chemistry

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