Injectable Myocardial Matrix Hydrogel Mitigates Negative Left Ventricular Remodeling in a Chronic Myocardial Infarction Model

A first-in-man clinical study on a myocardial-derived decellularized extracellular matrix (ECM) hydrogel yielded evidence for potential efficacy in ischemic heart failure (HF) patients. However, little is understood about the mechanism of action in chronic myocardial infarction (MI). In this study we investigated efficacy and mechanism by which the myocardial matrix hydrogel can mitigate negative left ventricular (LV) remodeling in a chronic model of MI. Assessment of cardiac function via magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) demonstrated preservation of LV volumes and apical wall thickening. Differential gene expression analyses showed the matrix is able to prevent worsening HF in a small animal chronic MI model through modulation of the immune response, downregulation of pathways involved in HF progression and fibrosis, and upregulation of genes important for cardiac muscle contraction.