Decellularized myocardial matrix hydrogels: In basic research and preclinical studies.

A variety of decellularized materials have been developed that have demonstrated potential for treating cardiovascular diseases and improving our understanding of cardiac development. Of these biomaterials, decellularized myocardial matrix hydrogels have shown great promise for creating cellular microenvironments representative of the native cardiac tissue and treating the heart after a myocardial infarction. Decellularized myocardial matrix hydrogels derived from porcine cardiac tissue form a nanofibrous hydrogel once thermally induced at physiological temperatures. Use of isolated cardiac extracellular matrix in 2D and 3D in vitro platforms has demonstrated the capability to provide tissue specific cues for cardiac cell growth and differentiation. Testing of the myocardial matrix hydrogel as a therapy after myocardial infarction in both small and large animal models has demonstrated improved left ventricular function, increased cardiac muscle, and cellular recruitment into the treated infarct. Based on these results, steps are currently being taken to translate these hydrogels into a clinically used injectable biomaterial therapy. In this review, we will focus on the basic science and preclinical studies that have accelerated the development of decellularized myocardial matrix hydrogels into an emerging novel therapy for treating the heart after a myocardial infarction.