Advances in Smart Hydrogels for Myocardial Infarction Therapy: A Scoping Review of Applications, Challenges, and Future Perspectives
Eyram Ahadzi, Otema Darfour Manu, Ruth Antwi-Baah, Henry Agbe, Prince Ebenezer Adjei · 2026
Read Advances in Smart Hydrogels for Myocardial Infarction Therapy: A Scoping Review of Applications, Challenges, and Future Perspectives by Eyram Ahadzi, Otema Darfour Manu, Ruth Antwi-Baah, Henry Agbe, Prince Ebenezer Adjei (2026) in the Tower of Babel, a free online library of public-domain works preserved in clean, searchable text. No sign-up. The full text is served as a plain-text file at a predictable URL, where text is present: https://antarctic-labs.com/tower-of-babel/pmc-13678413.txt.
Description
After a heart attack, scarred heart muscle needs help that pills spread too thinly across the body. Eyram Ahadzi and co-authors map research on smart hydrogels, gels that react to cues such as acidity, heat, or enzymes and release treatment on site. Their 2026 scoping review gathered 39 studies published between 2011 and 2025.
Most studies loaded the gels with growth factors, stem cells, exosomes, or nanoparticles and tested them in small animals. Treated hearts tended to remodel better, grow more blood vessels, and pump more strongly. Yet follow-up was short, large-animal work was rare, and human trials barely exist. The authors call for longer studies, gentler delivery routes, and models closer to real patients before the gels can move to the clinic.
Catalog record
| CREATOR | Eyram Ahadzi, Otema Darfour Manu, Ruth Antwi-Baah, Henry Agbe, Prince Ebenezer Adjei |
|---|---|
| YEAR | 2026 |
| COLLECTION | PAPERS |
| FORMAT | TXT |
| FILE SIZE | 63 KB |
| VERSION | 1.0 |
| LICENSE | CC BY 4.0 |
| RIGHTS | CC BY |
| SOURCE | Europe PMC |