Injectable decellularized myocardial matrix hydrogel mitigates negative left ventricular remodeling in a chronic myocardial infarction model

Statement of Purpose: There are more than 5 million Americans currently living with chronic heart failure (CHF). With the rising age of the average global population, this number continues to increase. Myocardial infarction (MI) is the most common cause of CHF worldwide, and CHF remains the leading cause of death. Currently, CHF patients may obtain treatment to reduce symptoms in early stages, while late stage patients must resort to invasive surgical procedures such as the implantation of a left ventricular assist device (LVAD) or heart transplantation. There is no clinically available therapeutic that aims to regenerate damaged cardiac tissue or restore heart function. Previously, an injectable hydrogel made from decellularized porcine left ventricular (LV) myocardium, called myocardial matrix (MM), was shown to mitigate negative LV remodeling and promote regeneration in subacute small and large animal MI models, which led to a phase I clinical trial (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02305602) [1,2]. However, the major unmet clinical need is for chronic MI patients. Therefore, this study investigated the efficacy and mechanism by which the MM hydrogel is able to prevent or reverse negative LV remodeling and promote repair within the infarct in a small animal model of CHF.