Coronary artery can lead to a range of pathological events, from cellular-scale deterioration culminating to the most severe outcomes, including heart attacks and fatalities [1]. The limited regenerative capacity of adult human myocardium underscores the need for regenerative therapeutic approaches focused on repairing damaged tissues or even contemplating heart replacement [2]. Furthermore, regenerative therapy requires a functional scaffold with the potential to mimic cardiac tissues, in addressing heart pathology effectively. In order to arrive to this realization, several factors have to be considered including scar reduction, the rate of apoptosis (cell death), and improvements in heart function, with an emphasis on the thicker epicardium of the left ventricle. The underlying severity on the profiling of infarcted cardiac tissues has shown the potential benefits of using cardiac patches as the means of advancing this research [3–6].
Natural polymers are widely recognized for their versatility in various applications [7]. For instance, biopolymers sourced from nature have been proven to be effective drug delivery systems. They enhance pharmaceutical effects, preserving tissue conditions and prioritizing healing and restoration [8, 9]. A promising application of biopolymers in the form of alginates (a brown seaweed derivatives) as the main component of cardiac patch is currently of interest. This is inspired by the successful utilization of this FDA approved natural polymer in clinical application, showcasing attributes such as low toxicity, non-antigenicity, excellent biocompatibility, biodegradability, and mild gelation properties. These attributes render it suitable for application in patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD).
Fundamentally, alginates comprise of β-(1–4)-D-mannuronic (M-blocks) and α-l-guluronic acid (G-blocks) connected through robust hydroxyl groups (-OH-), resulting in the formation of a low-density gel with an effective molecular weight distribution across the linkages. The "egg-box" model constructed from alginates can only be effectively utilized with a comprehensive understanding of its characteristics, morphology, structural chemistry, and dynamic behaviour within hydrolysing matrices including scaffolds, decellularized extracellular matrix (ECM) and cardiac patches [11–13]. Previous studies have underscored various undesirable properties of synthetic polymers, presented challenges when contemplated their use as materials for cardiac patches. Foremost among these issues is the significant risk of acute rejection, primarily due to immune responses directed towards the synthetic polymers [14, 15]. However, alginates have exhibited substantial advantages in alleviating immunogenicity. Engineered cardiac patches crafted from alginates have been implanted into living subjects, including rats and cows yielding positive outcomes in enhancing the heart function, especially among subjects afflicted with myocardial infarction (MI) [16].
Additionally, natural polymers harbour reactive sites that can be strategically modified to suit specific applications [17]. Although alginates may initially exhibit limitation in terms of mechanical properties, they offer the advantage of ease in enhancement and adjustment as required [18]. From an understanding of the in-situ process, the crosslinking formation of sodium alginate hydrogels is initiated by the use of ultraviolet (UV) light exposure which is a typical laboratory practice [19]. Compared to other methods in molecular weight distributions suitable for fabricating hydrogels from alginates such as ultrasonic and gamma irradiation in aqueous solutions, UV radiation is relatively superior in terms of chemical degradation rate for dissolving glycosidic bonds between the M and G blocks [20]. The initiation of the polymerization process in photo-crosslinked hydrogels aims to enhance the gel stability with tuneable characteristics to match the composition of the myocardium, considering the mechanical properties, degradation rate, and swelling capacity profiles. This approach of using UV-exposed alginate hydrogels has generated interest in cell encapsulation and tissue regeneration studies. The normal gelation of calcium alginate may degrade over time due to the release of ions from the hydrogel composition. Hence, UV irradiation addresses this issue by reinforcing the alginate structural matrix through the embedded photoinitiated calcium ions (Ca2+) across the M and G blocks. This stabilizing method enables precise spatial control for cell encapsulation within the matrix, extending the efficacy of site regeneration, primarily targeting the infarcted areas [22–24].
Over the last few decades, the development of cardiac patches has gradually gained traction, emerging as a promising foundation for heart disease treatment, potentially revolutionizing the therapeutics approach for patients with heart conditions [3, 25]. The idea of applying cardiac patches to the damaged layers of pericardium and myocardium is designed to bolster the functional behavior of the cardiac muscles and enhance their roles in delivering various biologically reactive factors. This approach demonstrates a potential curative effect in the clinical treatment of MI under controlled bioactive factors and biomaterial conditions [26–29]. Therefore, leveraging the functionality and benefits of alginates is crucial for optimizing the design of cardiac patches for practical applications in tissues engineering. This promising scaffold can be employed to offer mechanical support to failing hearts, ensuring that cardiomyocytes receive adequate nutrients throughout the process whilst maintaining the transmission of the regenerative activity of cardiac stromal cells over time [30].
The utilization of these derived brown algal cellular walls as a cardiac patch has been investigated to enhance the treatment of cardiovascular disease, promoting healing and repair at the injury site [32–34]. An alternative strategy involving adjustment of saline concentration and consistent injection of 2mL of alginates solution (every 2 months as a controlled variable) demonstrate remarkable outcomes, leading to a significant reduction of 53% in scar thickness in the myocardium [35, 36]. Hence, the correlation between calcium concentrations and the rate of gelation serves as a critical determinant during the hydrogel fabrication stage [37]. Additionally, one should assess the systemic blood circulation to comprehensively gauge the impact of the pathological activity of the heart. It heavily relies on the flexibility and tensile properties of the myocardium, estimated at 10-20kPa at the beginning of the diastole reaching a maximum pressure of 200-500kPa towards the end of diastole [38]. Moreover, it is essential to select conductive materials and porous filaments with a 90% penetration rate allowing accessibility for the electrical activity of the heart (in order to generate action potential connectivity) [39–41]. To date, the cardiac patch crafted from calcium alginate hydrogels fulfils the essential biological requirements. These includes facilitating the conveyance of bioactive factors, exhibiting morphological characteristic in melding, maintaining a controlled gelation form through the stabilization of the enhanced cross-linking M and G blocks, and demonstrating versatility to undergo safe disintegration [42, 43].
Alginate cardiac patch is prone to a decline shortly after implantation owing to its low retention ability. Consequently, this prompts the heart to engage in action potential forcibly, influenced by the electrical signals surrounding the alginate hydrogel [44, 45]. Moreover, unbound alginate with weak tensile properties may lead to low blood pressure, given the diminished contractile forces [46]. The present state-of-the-art alginate cardiac patches also lack the capacity to maintain long-term stability, consequently reducing the cellular productivity [47]. In turn, the identified factors for conducting an analytical study to enhance sodium alginate can pave the way for further research. In this study, we utilise UV exposure in enhancing the crosslinked alginate-based hydrogel during fabrication. The experimental demonstration will be a central aspect of this study, showcasing how to formulate a consistent and rigid materials that mimic the mechanical characteristics of myocardium. This preliminary data holds significance for potential clinical application.