Abstract
The research for heart therapies is challenged by the limited intrinsic regenerative capacity of the adult heart. Moreover, it has been hampered by the poor results obtained by tissue engineering and regenerative medicine attempts at generating functional beating constructs able to integrate with the host tissue. For this reason, organ transplantation remains the elective treatment for end-stage heart failure, while novel strategies aiming to promote cardiac regeneration or repair lag behind. The recent discovery that adult cardiomyocytes can be ectopically induced to enter the cell cycle and proliferate by a combination of microRNAs and cardioprotective drugs, like anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-coagulants and anti-platelets agents, fueled the quest for new strategies suited to foster cardiac repair. While proposing a revolutionary approach for heart regeneration, these studies raised serious issues regarding the efficient controlled delivery of the therapeutic cargo, as well as its timely removal or metabolic inactivation from the site of action. Especially, there is need for innovative treatment because of evidence of severe side effects caused by pleiotropic drugs. Biocompatible nanoparticles possess unique physico-chemical properties that have been extensively exploited for overcoming the limitations of standard medical therapies. Researchers have put great efforts into the optimization of the nanoparticles synthesis and functionalization, to control their interactions with the biological milieu and use as a viable alternative to traditional approaches. Nanoparticles can be used for diagnosis and deliver therapies in a personalized and targeted fashion. Regarding the treatment of cardiovascular diseases, nanoparticles-based strategies have provided very promising outcomes, in preclinical studies, during the last years. Efficient encapsulation of a large variety of cargos, specific release at the desired site and improvement of cardiac function are some of the main achievements reached so far by nanoparticle-based treatments in animal models. This work offers an overview on the recent nanomedical applications for cardiac regeneration and highlights how the versatility of nanomaterials can be combined with the newest molecular biology discoveries to advance cardiac regeneration therapies.
Highlights
For the last decades, cardiologists and researchers in the field have been fascinated by the idea of treating cardiomyopathies by inducing adult cardiomyocytes (CMs) to proliferate and generate new contractile force (Hashmi and Ahmad, 2019)
The authors proved that miR-199a-3p, miR302d, miR-373, miR-590-3p, and miR-1825 can target the TAOK1 and β-TrCP, driving E3 ubiquitin ligasemediated Yes-associated protein one (YAP) degradation. These results highlight the crucial role of Hippo pathway in cardiomyocyte homeostasis and the possible cardiac therapy horizons emerging from the regulation of YAP activity in the contractile figures of the heart
Despite any progresses based on healthier life styles, cardiovascular diseases remain the major cause of death globally, according to the World Healt Organization (WHO) (World Health Organization, 2019)
Summary
Cardiologists and researchers in the field have been fascinated by the idea of treating cardiomyopathies by inducing adult cardiomyocytes (CMs) to proliferate and generate new contractile force (Hashmi and Ahmad, 2019). The design of nanoparticles (NPs) targeting the contractile component of the heart may offer interesting solutions to overcome the limitations of current therapeutics, by selective modulation of developmental pathways in cardiac cells.
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
