Polysaccharide-based strategies for heart tissue engineering

Abstract

Polysaccharides are abundant biomolecules in nature presenting important roles in a wide variety of living systems processes. Considering the structural and biological functions of polysaccharides, their properties have raised interest for tissue engineering. Herein, we described the latest advances in cardiac tissue engineering mediated by polysaccharides. We reviewed the data already obtained in vitro and in vivo in this field with several types of polysaccharides. Cardiac injection, intramyocardial in situ polymerization strategies, and scaffold-based approaches involving polysaccharides for heart tissue engineering are thus discussed.

Keywords: Alginate (PubChem CID: 6850754); Cardiac patch; Chitosan (PubChem CID: 71853); Dextran (PubChem CID: 71315856); Fibroblast growth factor (PubChem CID: 5486993); Heart tissue engineering; Hyaluronic acid (PubChem CID: 24759); Polysaccharides; RGD peptide (PubChem CID: 104802); Scaffolds.