Matching self-healing hydrogels to diverse cardiac tissues

Heart attacks cause catastrophic damage to cardiac tissue that greatly increases the risk of heart failure, and ultimately death. Implanting hydrogels, loaded with regenerative stem cells, at the affected area has been shown to minimise this damage. However, these gels are quickly destroyed by the mechanical stress of the beating heart, limiting their use in patients. Hydrogels that are able to self-heal are therefore an exciting emerging technology, but matching a gel to the variable mechanical properties of individual patients remains a challenge. In this project, we will therefore design hydrogels that have tunable self-healing properties, providing a means to produce tailored therapeutics that are precisely matched to the patient’s tissue. We will exploit whole body imaging to monitor the fate of our gels in vivo and their effects on cardiac function. These studies will inform the optimisation of gel design properties and synthesis towards future clinical translation.