Concise Review: Injectable Biomaterials for the Treatment of Myocardial Infarction and Peripheral Artery Disease: Translational Challenges and Progress

Recently, injectable biomaterial-based therapies for cardiovascular disease have been gaining attention, because they have shown therapeutic potential in preclinical models for myocardial infarction (MI) and peripheral artery disease (PAD). Naturally derived (e.g., alginate, hyaluronic acid, collagen, or extracellular matrix-based) or synthetic (e.g., peptide or polymer-based) materials can enhance stem cell survival and retention in vivo, prolong growth factor release from bulk hydrogel or particle constructs, and even stimulate endogenous tissue regeneration as a standalone therapy. Although there are many promising preclinical examples, the therapeutic potential of biomaterial-based products for cardiovascular disease has yet to be proved on a clinical and commercial scale. This review aims to briefly summarize the latest preclinical and clinical studies on injectable biomaterial therapies for MI and PAD. Furthermore, our overall goal is to highlight the major challenges facing translation of these therapies to the clinic (e.g., regulatory, manufacturing, and delivery), with the purpose of increasing awareness of the barriers for translating novel biomaterial therapies for MI and PAD and facilitating more rapid translation of new biomaterial technologies.