Cardiac gene therapy review highlights delivery routes and biomaterial trade-offs
Published in Biology, Drugs development & discovery, Journals, Tools.
Published November 2, 2026.
A review published today in npj Biomedical Innovations examines a practical bottleneck in cardiac gene therapy: getting enough therapeutic vector into the heart without excessive exposure elsewhere.
Kabboul and colleagues compare established and experimental administration routes for adeno-associated virus vectors. Rapid coronary blood flow, endothelial barriers, limited retention and immune responses can constrain myocardial delivery. Increasing systemic doses can also increase toxicity.
The review discusses localized injections, coronary approaches, isolated-heart perfusion and biomaterial-assisted delivery. Hydrogels and related materials may help retain vectors or control their release, but they introduce their own inflammatory, manufacturing and procedural challenges.
The central message is that delivery method deserves attention alongside the genetic payload and vector design. Much of the emerging delivery technology remains preclinical, and the review reports no new trial demonstrating heart regeneration or a universally superior administration route.
Two authors disclose financial interests in CorAmi BioTech, a company developing cardiac gene-delivery technology. The review was supported by American Heart Association and NIH funding.
Source: Kabboul et al., npj Biomedical Innovations, November 2, 2026.