NANOSTRUCTURED BIOMATERIAL STRATEGIES FOR THE REGENERATION OF INFARCTED MYOCARDIUM

Abstract

MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION REMAINS THE SINGLE LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH GLOBALLY. CURRENT TREATMENT PROCEDURES INCLUDE TRANSPLANTATION AND LEFT VENTRICULAR ASSIST DEVICES THAT ARE ASSOCIATED WITH HIGH MORBIDITY, COST AND LONG WAITING TIME FOR DONOR ORGAN. RECENTLY, SEVERAL APPROACHES TO CELL BASED THERAPY HAVE BEEN EMPLOYED TO BRING ABOUT THE REPAIR OF INFARCTED MYOCARDIUM. DESPITE ADVANTAGES SUCH AS SAFETY AND IMPROVED FUNCTIONING, THE DYNAMIC MYOCARDIAL MICROENVIRONMENT THE LOCALLY ADMINISTERED CELLS FROM HOMING OF THERAPEUTIC CELLS. GIVEN THE CURRENT LIMITATIONS, IT IS DESIRABLE TO DEVELOP ALTERNATIVE SAFE AND EFFECTIVE METHODS CAPABLE OF MIMICKING THE HIGHLY SENSITIZED NANOSCALE CUES IN CARDIAC ECM. NANOSCALE BIOMIMETIC BASED CONTROL OF CARDIAC FUNCTION HAS NOT BEEN EXTENSIVELY ANALYZED IN THE FIELD OF MYOCARDIAL TISSUE ENGINEERING. WE CONFIRM THE SAFETY, EFFICACY AND FEASIBLY OF APPLICATION OF NANOSTRUCTURED BIOMATERIAL STRATEGIES THAT HIGHLIGHTS THEIR POTENTIAL TO SERVE AS A METHOD FOR