Functional hydrogels in cardiovascular therapy: Design, applications and clinical challenges (Review)

Evidence from laboratory and animal studies provides groundwork for understanding mechanisms and potential before human studies continue.

• Level A · Stronger Clinical Evidence
• Level B · Emerging clinical evidence with positive signals
• Level C · Early human research exploring benefits
• Level D · Scientific groundwork from lab and animal studies
• Emerging · Emerging topic under active research

Abstract (original English)

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of mortality worldwide, and conventional treatments (such as pharmacotherapy, stents and bypass surgery) have limited capacity to repair damaged cardiovascular tissue. Hydrogels, as biocompatible three‑dimensional network materials, demonstrate potential for the treatment of CVD. The present review summarizes functional hydrogels for CVD treatment, including their preparation, applications, current challenges and future perspectives. Hydrogel materials comprise natural polymers, synthetic polymers and composite systems, each with distinct advantages and limitations: Natural polymers offer good biocompatibility but exhibit poor mechanical strength; synthetic polymers provide tunable properties but lack inherent bioactivity; composites combine the advantages of both but are more complex to manufacture. Stimuli‑responsive hydrogels respond to environmental cues and enable on‑demand therapeutic delivery. In terms of clinical applications, hydrogels have potential for post‑infarction myocardial repair, vascular regeneration, heart valve repair and regeneration and heart failure management. They serve as scaffolds, as well as cell and drug delivery carriers. Nevertheless, hydrogels face challenges in clinical translation, including safety, long‑term biocompatibility, mechanical and electrical compatibility with host tissue, thrombogen

Evidence level

Evidence from laboratory and animal studies provides groundwork for understanding mechanisms and potential before human studies continue.

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