Introduction: This study evaluates the effectiveness of a combined regimen involving injectable hydrogels for the treatment of experimental myocardial infarction. Patient concerns: Myocardial infarction is an acute illness that negatively affects quality of life and increases mortality rates. Experimental models of myocardial infarction can aid in disease research by allowing for the development of therapies that effectively manage disease progression and promote tissue repair. Diagnosis: Experimental animal models of myocardial infarction were established using the ligation method on the anterior descending branch of the left coronary artery (LAD). Interventions: The efficacy of intracardiac injection of hydrogels, combined with cells, drugs, cytokines, extracellular vesicles, or nucleic acid therapies, was evaluated to assess the functional and morphological improvements in the post-infarction heart achieved through the combined hydrogel regimen. Outcomes: A literature review was conducted using PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and Cochrane databases. A total of 83 papers, including studies on 1332 experimental animals (rats, mice, rabbits, sheep, and pigs), were included in the meta-analysis based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The overall effect size observed in the group receiving combined hydrogel therapy, compared to the group receiving hydrogel treatment alone, resulted in an ejection fraction (EF) improvement of 8.87% [95% confidence interval (CI): 7.53, 10.21] and a fractional shortening (FS) improvement of 6.31% [95% CI: 5.94, 6.67] in rat models, while in mice models, the improvements were 16.45% [95% CI: 11.29, 21.61] for EF and 5.68% [95% CI: 5.15, 6.22] for FS. The most significant improvements in EF (rats: MD = 9.63% [95% CI: 4.02, 15.23]; mice: MD = 23.93% [95% CI: 17.52, 30.84]) and FS (rats: MD = 8.55% [95% CI: 2.54, 14.56]; mice: MD = 5.68% [95% CI: 5.15, 6.22]) were observed when extracellular vesicle therapy was used. Although there have been significant results in large animal experiments, the number of studies conducted in this area is limited. Conclusion: The present study demonstrates that combining hydrogel with other therapies effectively improves heart function and morphology. Further preclinical research using large animal models is necessary for additional study and validation. Graphical

Diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM) is one of the most common complications of diabetes without effective treatment options. Its pathogenesis is complex and remains unclear. Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) MIAT allele has been reported to be enriched in DCM patients and activate a pyroptosis program in hypoxia-induced H9c2 cells. Thus, whether MIAT played a role in DCM pyroptosis remains to be clarified. In the study, the expression of MIAT was found elevated in the serum of diabetic patients, as well as in high-glucose induced cardiomyocytes and diabetic mice. Further, the expression levels of CASP1 and pyroptosis correlation factors (IL-1 and IL-18) were downregulated after silencing MIAT. Through modeling and validation experiments, we then confirmed that the MIAT-miR-214-3p-CASP1 axis serves as an essential point in pyroptosis of DCM mice. These results suggested that silencing MIAT would be a potential treatment strategy for DCM.

Cancer treatment is a significant challenge for the global health system, although various pharmacological and therapeutic discoveries have been made. It has been widely established that cancer is associated with epigenetic modification, which is reversible and becomes an attractive target for drug development. Adding chemical groups to the DNA backbone and modifying histone proteins impart distinct characteristics on chromatin architecture. This process is mediated by various enzymes modifying chromatin structures to achieve the diversity of epigenetic space and the intricacy in gene expression files. After decades of effort, epigenetic modification has represented the hallmarks of different cancer types, and the enzymes involved in this process have provided novel targets for antitumor therapy development. Epigenetic drugs show significant effects on both preclinical and clinical studies in which the target development and research offer a promising direction for cancer therapy. Here, we summarize the different types of epigenetic enzymes which target corresponding protein domains, emphasize DNA methylation, histone modifications, and microRNA-mediated cooperation with epigenetic modification, and highlight recent achievements in developing targets for epigenetic inhibitor therapy. This article reviews current anticancer small-molecule inhibitors targeting epigenetic modified enzymes and displays their performances in different stages of clinical trials. Future studies are further needed to address their off-target effects and cytotoxicity to improve their clinical translation.