Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research ›› 2026, Vol. 30 ›› Issue (8): 2072-2080.doi: 10.12307/2026.602

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Role and trend of stimuli-responsive injectable hydrogels in precise myocardial infarction therapy

Liu Yang1, Liu Donghui1, Xu Lei1, Zhan Xu1, Sun Haobo1, Kang Kai1, 2, 3   

  1. 1Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, 2NHC Key Laboratory of Cell Transplantation, 3Key Laboratory of Hepatosplenic Surgery of Ministry of Education, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150000, Heilongjiang Province, China
  • Received:2025-01-21 Accepted:2025-03-24 Online:2026-03-18 Published:2025-07-28
  • Contact: Kang Kai, Professor, Chief physician, Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150000, Heilongjiang Province, China; NHC Key Laboratory of Cell Transplantation, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150000, Heilongjiang Province, China; Key Laboratory of Hepatosplenic Surgery of Ministry of Education, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150000, Heilongjiang Province, China
  • About author:Liu Yang, Master candidate, Physician, Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150000, Heilongjiang Province, China Liu Donghui, Doctoral candidate, Physician, Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150000, Heilongjiang Province, China
  • Supported by:
    National Natural Science Foundation of China, No. 82472147 (to KK); Key Research and Development Program of Heilongjiang Province, No. 2023ZX06C04 (to KK); Open Fund of Key Laboratory of Hepatosplenic Surgery, Ministry of Education, China, No. GPKF202402 (to KK)

Abstract: BACKGROUND: The pathology of myocardial infarction exhibits significant individual variability, and traditional therapies for myocardial infarction are often limited by individualization and the lack of targeted treatment. Stimuli-responsive injectable hydrogels have emerged as a promising solution for “precision therapy” in the context of myocardial infarction.
OBJECTIVE: To present the advancements of various stimuli-responsive injectable hydrogels in the context of myocardial infarction, with a focus on material design and their effects on myocardial repair. 
METHODS: Relevant literature on the use of stimuli-responsive injectable hydrogels for the treatment of myocardial infarction was retrieved from CNKI and PubMed databases. The search terms used in Chinese and English were “myocardial infarction, injectable hydrogel, stimuli-responsive injectable hydrogel, nanotechnology, tissue engineering.” The literature search covered the period from the inception of each database to January 2025. A total of 69 articles that met the inclusion criteria were selected for review.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: (1) The pathological changes in myocardial infarction exhibited significant variability, both between individuals and within the same individual over time and space. This was especially evident during the inflammatory phase, where the microenvironment in the infarcted area deteriorated, triggering a severe inflammatory cascade that exacerbated cardiomyocyte death. Therefore, it was essential to develop drug delivery systems that could be tailored to the localized pathological changes for “precision therapy.” (2) The treatment of myocardial infarction involved controlling inflammation, reducing reactive oxygen species production, and protecting cardiomyocytes, and avoiding extracellular matrix reconstruction. (3) Stimuli-responsive injectable hydrogels had the unique ability to precisely detect changes in the infarcted microenvironment as well as respond to external stimuli. This triggered alterations in their morphology and facilitated the controlled release of therapeutic agents. These hydrogels offered several advantages, including providing physical support to the damaged area, enabling controlled and targeted delivery of medications and therapeutic factors, minimizing their loss, and enhancing their absorption and efficacy. Consequently, multi-functional stimuli-responsive injectable hydrogels hold great promise for advancing precise treatment strategies for myocardial infarction.


Key words: stimuli-responsive, injectable hydrogel, myocardial infarction, nanotechnology, tissue engineering, hydrogel

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