Biomaterials in Cardiovascular Regeneration and Pathogenesis Investigation

Dear Colleagues,

Despite modern therapy, it is estimated by Whold Health Organization that about 17.9 millioin people die each year from cardiovascular diseases (CVD), which accounts for 32% of all death worldwide. More than 75% of CVD deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries. In the United States, CVD remains the No. 1 cause of death.  Given this, there is a pressing need to develop new therapies to treat, if not cure, the diseased cardiovascular tissue/organ. With the rapid discoveries in stem or progenitor cells as well as numerous innovations in biomaterial fabrication, there has been a stunning progression in regenerative medicine in the past decades. The therapeutic stretegies span a broad spectrum from cell to cell product delivery, from surgical implantation to minimally invasive administration, with or without tissue engineered biomimetic biomaterials. Overall, the preparation and adminstration of biomaterials has been continuously renovated to achieve a variety of functions and aid in tissue restoration.

Nevertheless, barriers toward effective therapeutics in cardiac and vascular tissues remian.  For instance, the replacement or restoration of cardiomyocyte population and the resolvent of ‘scar tissue’ in the infarcted myocardium remains challenging. Depending on the vascular diseases (e.g., atherosclerosis, restenosis, sepsis, ARDS, and severe COVID-19) and the types of blood vessels (artery vs. vein, pulmonary vs. systemic vessel), different routes for endothelial regeneration and vascular repair await further investigation. Authors are welcome to submit original articles and reviews that seek to improve the regenerative outcomes and/or advance the understanding of pathogenesis of heart and vascular diseases using tissue engineered biomaterials.

Potential themes of interest in this special issue include , but are not limited to, the following:

• Novel fabrication of biomimetic biomaterials that replicate native tissues mechanical, electrical, and/or chemical properties found in vivo
• Clinical or preclinical studies on the development of new regenerative therapeutic approaches for cardiac and/or vascular diseases in pediatric or adult patients
• Fundamental research on the role of extracellular matrix (ECM) microenvironment in the behavior or (paracrine) function of various cells using tissue engineered biomaterials (3D bioscaffolds, ECM-based bioscaffolds, etc.)
• Vascular implants with improved biocompatibility and function and/or limited complications (e.g., intimal hyperplasia)
• Therapies targeting vasculature abnormalities for other organ diseases (e.g., stroke) and/or tumor progression

Dr. Zhijie Wang
Dr. Ketul C. Popat
Dr. Wei Tan
Guest Editors

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• bioscaffolds
• cardiac patch
• vascular graft/stent
• cell free therapy
• stem or progenitor cells
• paracrine function
• mechanobiology