Figure 1.

The main DDSs employed in recent years in the field of VEGF and cardiac repair are represented. In the particles (nano or microsized) VEGF can be included homogenously through the entire particle (A) or only in the core of the system (B), which affects the release profile. A wide variety of scaffolds has been designed. In a thermosensitive injectable hydrogel (C) at temperatures under 37 ºC the blend of the vehicle and the VEGF remains liquid, but when it is injected and reaches the body temperature the mixture solidifies and VEGF is entrapped within the gel matrix (D). By electrospinning fibrous scaffolds are built up (E) whereas porous scaffolds (F) can be formed by solvent casting and particulate leaching method.