Functional hydrogels for the treatment of myocardial infarction

Abstract Myocardial infarction (MI) is a major disease posing a significant threat to human health, as it leads to necrosis of numerous cardiomyocytes (CMs), left ventricle dilation, and cardiac dysfunction, ultimately resulting in heart failure. Owing to the shortage of heart donors and the shortcomings of current clinical treatment methods, significant resources have been dedicated to developing platforms for cardiac tissue engineering, including functional hydrogels. Herein, we review variations in the myocardial microenvironment and the effects of functional hydrogel systems that are designed to support and mimic this microenvironment during cardiac repair following MI. Specifically, we provide an overview of recent functional hydrogels designed for cardiac tissue engineering. These include matrix metalloproteinase-responsive hydrogels, reactive oxygen species-scavenging hydrogels and immunomodulatory hydrogels, which can reverse the adverse myocardial microenvironment. Additionally, we describe conductive hydrogels that can reconstruct electrical signal conduction within infarct areas, vascularized hydrogels that promote the repair of cardiac function, and 3D-printed hydrogels, which can achieve personal customized cardiac tissue via printing of intact cardiac structures, thus addressing the current shortage of heart donors.