An injectable alginate/fibrin hydrogel encapsulated with cardiomyocytes and VEGF for myocardial infarction treatment

•An injectable alginate/fibrin hydrogel is developed to deliver cardiomyocytes and VEGF locally to the infarcted area of the heart.•This hydrogel supports the retention and integration of the transplanted cardiomyocytes into the host myocardium.•The delivered VEGF is favorable for blood recovery to improve the survival of cardiomyocytes.•Intramyocardial injection of this hydrogel promotes angiogenesis, inhibits fibrosis, and improves cardiac function after myocardial infarction.