An injectable hydrogel loaded with deferoxamine and carvedilol for the treatment of acute myocardial infarction

Myocardial infarction (MI) is the leading cause of death worldwide. Studies have shown that ischemia, oxidative stress, and prolonged inflammation are the main reasons that hinder cardiac tissue repair. In such situation, the present study introduced a methacrylate gelatin (GelMA) / thiolated hyaluronic acid (HASH) hydrogel loaded with deferoxamine (DFO) and carvedilol (GelMA/HASH@DPDCNs) for MI treatment. The prepared hydrogel had good injectable properties, and could continuously release DFO and carvedilol. The results of in vitro cell experiments showed that hydrogel could effectively reduce reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, and apoptosis in cardiomyocytes. And in the LPS-induced macrophage polarization model, the hydrogel could also effectively reduce the expression of pro-inflammatory factors TNF-α and IL-6, and increase the expression level of IL-10, thereby inhibiting the inflammatory response. In addition, the hydrogel could promote endothelial cell proliferation, migration, and tube formation, with the potential to promote angiogenesis. In the rat model of acute MI, the prepared hydrogel could accelerate the repair of damaged myocardium by anti-apoptosis, inhibiting inflammation, and promoting angiogenesis. We expect that the results of this study will provide a novel, and effective strategy for the clinical treatment of MI.