An Intrapericardial Injectable Hydrogel Patch for Mechanical–Electrical Coupling with Infarcted Myocardium

Although hydrogel-based patches have shown promising therapeutic efficacy in myocardial infarction (MI), synergistic mechanical, electrical, and biological cues are required to restore cardiac electrical conduction and diastolic–systolic function. Here, an injectable mechanical–electrical coupling hydrogel patch (MEHP) is developed via dynamic covalent/noncovalent cross-linking, appropriate for cell encapsulation and minimally invasive implantation into the pericardial cavity. Pericardial fixation and hydrogel self-adhesiveness properties enable the MEHP to highly compliant interfacial coupling with cyclically deformed myocardium. The self-adaptive MEHP inhibits ventricular dilation while assisting cardiac pulsatile function. The MEHP with the electrical conductivity and sensitivity to match myocardial tissue improves electrical connectivity between healthy and infarcted areas and increases electrical conduction velocity and synchronization. Overall, the MEHP combined with cell therapy effectively prevents ventricular fibrosis and remodeling, promotes neovascularization, and restores electrical propagation and synchronized pulsation, facilitating the clinical translation of cardiac tissue engineering.尽管基于水凝胶的贴片在心肌梗死（myocardial infarction, MI）治疗中已展现出可观的治疗功效，但仍需协同的力学、电学与生物学信号，方能恢复心脏的电传导功能与舒张-收缩功能。本研究通过动态共价/非共价交联策略，开发了一种可注射式力电耦合水凝胶贴片（mechanical–electrical coupling hydrogel patch, MEHP），该贴片适用于细胞包埋，并可通过微创方式植入心包腔。凭借心包固定性与水凝胶自粘附特性，MEHP可与发生周期性形变的心肌组织实现高顺应性的界面耦合。这款自适应型MEHP可抑制心室扩张，同时辅助心脏搏动功能。该MEHP具备与心肌组织匹配的导电性与电学敏感性，可改善健康心肌与梗死区域之间的电连通性，提升电传导速度与电活动同步性。综上，将MEHP与细胞疗法联合使用，可有效抑制心室纤维化与心室重构，促进新生血管生成，恢复心脏电传导与同步搏动，从而推动心脏组织工程的临床转化进程。