Objective Minimally invasive approaches to mitral valve surgery are increasingly used, but the surgical approach must not compromise the clinical outcome for improved cosmesis. We examined the outcomes of mitral repair performed through right minithoracotomy or median sternotomy. Methods Between January 2002 and October 2011, 1011 isolated mitral valve repairs were performed in the University of Pennsylvania health system (455 sternotomies, 556 right minithoracotomies). To account for key differences in preoperative risk profiles, propensity scores identified 201 well-matched patient pairs with mitral regurgitation of any cause and 153 pairs with myxomatous disease. Results In-hospital mortality was similar between propensity-matched groups (0% vs 0% for the degenerative cohort; 0% vs 0.5%, P = .5 for the overall cohort; in minimally invasive and sternotomy groups, respectively). Incidence of stroke, infection, myocardial infarction, exploration for postoperative hemorrhage, renal failure, and atrial fibrillation also were comparable. Transfusion was less frequent in the minimally invasive groups (11.8% vs 20.3%, P = .04 for the degenerative cohort; 14.0% vs 22.9%, P .03 for the overall cohort), but time to extubation and discharge was similar. A 99% repair rate was achieved=in patients with myxomatous disease, and a minimally invasive approach did not significantly increase the likelihood of a failed repair resulting in mitral valve replacement. Patients undergoing minimally invasive mitral repair were more likely to have no residual post-repair mitral regurgitation (97.4% vs 92.1%, P = .04 for the degenerative cohort; 95.5% vs 89.6%, P = .02 for the overall cohort). In the overall matched cohort, early readmission rates were higher in patients undergoing sternotomies (12.6% vs 4.4%, P = .01). Over 9 years of follow-up, there was no significant difference in long-term survival between groups (P = .8). Conclusions In appropriate patients with isolated mitral valve disease of any cause, a right minithoracotomy approach may be used without compromising clinical outcome.

Cancer remains one of the leading causes of death, albeit enormous efforts to cure the disease. To overcome the major challenges in cancer therapy, we need to have a better understanding of the tumour microenvironment (TME), as well as a more effective means to screen anti-cancer drug leads; both can be achieved using advanced technologies, including the emerging tumour-on-a-chip technology. Here, we review the recent development of the tumour-on-a-chip technology, which integrates microfluidics, microfabrication, tissue engineering and biomaterials research, and offers new opportunities for building and applying functional three-dimensional in vitro human tumour models for oncology research, immunotherapy studies and drug screening. In particular, tumour-on-a-chip microdevices allow well-controlled microscopic studies of the interaction among tumour cells, immune cells and cells in the TME, of which simple tissue cultures and animal models are not amenable to do. The challenges in developing the next-generation tumour-on-a-chip technology are also discussed.

OBJECTIVES The clinical translation of cell based therapies for ischemic heart disease has been limited due to low cell retention (<1%) within and poor targeting to ischemic myocardium. To address these issues, we developed an injectable shear-thinning hyaluronic acid hydrogel (STG) and endothelial progenitor cell construct (STG-EPC). The STG assembles due to interactions of adamantine and β-cyclodextrin modified hyaluronic acid. It is shear-thinning to permit delivery via a syringe, and self-heals upon injection within the ischemic myocardium. This directed therapy to the ischemic myocardial borderzone enables direct cell delivery to address adverse remodeling after myocardial infarction. We hypothesize that this system will enhance vasculogenesis to improve myocardial stabilization in the context of a clinically translatable therapy. METHODS EPCs (DiLDL+ VEGFR2+ CD34+) were harvested from adult male Wistar Rats, cultured, and then suspended in the STG. In vitro viability was quantified using a live-dead stain of EPCs. STG-EPC constructs were injected at the borderzone of ischemic rat myocardium after acute myocardial infarction (left anterior descending coronary artery ligation). The migration of the eGFP+ EPCs from the construct to ischemic myocardium was analyzed using fluorescent microscopy. Vasculogenesis, myocardial remodeling, and hemodynamic function were analyzed in 4 groups: control (PBS injection), intramyocardial injection of EPCs alone (EPC), injection of the STG alone (STG), and treatment with the gel-EPC construct (STG-EPC). Hemodynamics and ventricular geometry were quantified using echocardiography and Doppler flow analysis. RESULTS EPCs demonstrated viability within the STG. A marked increase in EPC engraftment was observed one-week post-injection within the treated myocardium with gel delivery when compared to EPC injection alone (17.2 ± 0.8 cells/HPF vs. 3.5 cells ± 1.3 cells/HPF, p = 0.0002). A statistically significant increase in vasculogenesis was noted with the STG-EPC construct (15.3 ± 5.8 vessels/HPF) when compared to control (p < 0.0001), EPC (p < 0.0001), and STG (p < 0.0001) groups. Statistically significant improvements in ventricular function, scar fraction, and geometry were also noted after STG-EPC treatment compared to the control. CONCLUSIONS A novel injectable shear-thinning hyaluronic acid hydrogel seeded with EPCs enhanced cell retention and vasculogenesis after delivery to ischemic myocardium. This therapy limited adverse myocardial remodeling while preserving contractility.

Background Exogenously delivered chemokines have enabled neovasculogenic myocardial repair in models of ischemic cardiomyopathy; however, these molecules have short half-lives in vivo. In this study, we hypothesized that the sustained delivery of a synthetic analog of stromal cell–derived factor 1-α (engineered stromal cell–derived factor analog [ESA]) induces continuous homing of endothelial progenitor cells and improves left ventricular function in a rat model of myocardial infarction. Methods and Results Our previously designed ESA peptide was synthesized by the addition of a fluorophore tag for tracking. Hyaluronic acid was chemically modified with hydroxyethyl methacrylate to form hydrolytically degradable hydrogels through free-radical–initiated crosslinking. ESA was encapsulated in hyaluronic acid hydrogels during gel formation, and then ESA release, along with gel degradation, was monitored for more than 4 weeks in vitro. Chemotactic properties of the eluted ESA were assessed at multiple time points using rat endothelial progenitor cells in a transwell migration assay. Finally, adult male Wistar rats (n=33) underwent permanent ligation of the left anterior descending (LAD) coronary artery, and 100 μL of saline, hydrogel alone, or hydrogel+25 μg ESA was injected into the borderzone. ESA fluorescence was monitored in animals for more than 4 weeks, after which vasculogenic, geometric, and functional parameters were assessed to determine the therapeutic benefit of each treatment group. ESA release was sustained for 4 weeks in vitro, remained active, and enhanced endothelial progenitor cell chemotaxis. In addition, ESA was detected in the rat heart >3 weeks when delivered within the hydrogels and significantly improved vascularity, ventricular geometry, ejection fraction, cardiac output, and contractility compared with controls. Conclusions We have developed a hydrogel delivery system that sustains the release of a bioactive endothelial progenitor cell chemokine during a 4-week period that preserves ventricular function in a rat model of myocardial infarction.

While siRNA has tremendous potential for therapeutic applications, advancement is limited by poor delivery systems. Systemically, siRNAs are rapidly degraded, may have off-target silencing, and necessitate high working concentrations. To overcome this, we developed an injectable, guest-host assembled hydrogel between polyethylenimine (PEI) and polyethylene glycol (PEG) for local siRNA delivery. Guest-host modified polymers assembled with siRNAs to form polyplexes that had improved transfection and viability compared to PEI. At higher concentrations, these polymers assembled into shear-thinning hydrogels that rapidly self-healed. With siRNA encapsulation, the assemblies eroded as polyplexes which were active and transfected cells, observed by Cy3-siRNA uptake or GFP silencing in vitro. When injected into rat myocardium, the hydrogels localized polyplex release, observed by uptake of Cy5.5-siRNA and silencing of GFP for 1 week in a GFP-expressing rat. These results illustrate the potential for this system to be applied for therapeutic siRNA delivery, such as in cardiac pathologies.

Background Neuregulin (NRG) is a member of the epidermal growth factor family possessing a critical role in cardiomyocyte development and proliferation. Systemic administration of NRG demonstrated efficacy in cardiomyopathy animal models, leading to clinical trials employing daily NRG infusions. This approach is hindered by requiring daily infusions and off-target exposure. Therefore, this study aimed to encapsulate NRG in a hydrogel (HG) to be directly delivered to the myocardium, accomplishing sustained localized NRG delivery. Methods and Results NRG was encapsulated in HG and release over 14 days confirmed by ELISA in vitro. Sprague-Dawly rats were utilized for cardiomyocyte isolation. Cells were stimulated by PBS, NRG, HG, or NRG-HG and evaluated for proliferation. Cardiomyocytes demonstrated EdU and phosphorylated histone-H3 (PH3) positivity in the NRG-HG group only. For in vivo studies, 2 month old mice (n=60) underwent LAD ligation and were randomized to the 4 treatment groups mentioned. Only NRG-HG treated mice demonstrated PH3 and Ki67 positivity along with decreased caspase-3 activity compared to all controls. NRG was detected in myocardium 6 days following injection without evidence of off-target exposure in NRG-HG animals. At 2 weeks, the NRG-HG group exhibited enhanced LVEF, decreased LV area, and augmented borderzone thickness. Conclusions Targeted and sustained delivery of NRG directly to the myocardial borderzone augments cardiomyocyte mitotic activity, decreases apoptosis, and greatly enhances LV function in a model of ICM. This novel approach to NRG administration avoids off-target exposure and represents a clinically translatable strategy in myocardial regenerative therapeutics.

Background Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) possess robust therapeutic angiogenic potential, yet may be limited in the capacity to develop into fully mature vasculature. This problem might be exacerbated by the absence of a neovascular foundation, namely pericytes, with simple EPC injection. We hypothesized that coculturing EPCs with smooth muscle cells (SMCs), components of the surrounding vascular wall, in a cell sheet will mimic the native spatial orientation and interaction between EPCs and SMCs to create a supratherapeutic angiogenic construct in a model of ischemic cardiomyopathy. Methods and Results Primary EPCs and SMCs were isolated from Wistar rats. Confluent SMCs topped with confluent EPCs were spontaneously detached from the Upcell dish to create an SMC-EPC bi-level cell sheet. A rodent ischemic cardiomyopathy model was created by ligating the left anterior descending coronary artery. Rats were then immediately divided into 3 groups: cell-sheet transplantation (n=14), cell injection (n=12), and no treatment (n=13). Cocultured EPCs and SMCs stimulated an abundant release of multiple cytokines in vitro. Increased capillary density and improved blood perfusion in the borderzone elucidated the significant in vivo angiogenic potential of this technology. Most interestingly, however, cell fate–tracking experiments demonstrated that the cell-sheet EPCs and SMCs directly migrated into the myocardium and differentiated into elements of newly formed functional vasculature. The robust angiogenic effect of this cell sheet translated to enhanced ventricular function as demonstrated by echocardiography. Conclusions Spatially arranged EPC-SMC bi-level cell-sheet technology facilitated the natural interaction between EPCs and SMCs, thereby creating structurally mature, functional microvasculature in a rodent ischemic cardiomyopathy model, leading to improved myocardial function.

The field of tissue engineering has advanced the development of increasingly biocompatible materials to mimic the extracellular matrix of vascularized tissue. However, a majority of studies instead rely on a multiday inosculation between engineered vessels and host vasculature rather than the direct connection of engineered microvascular networks with host vasculature. We have previously demonstrated that the rapid casting of three-dimensionally-printed (3D) sacrificial carbohydrate glass is an expeditious and a reliable method of creating scaffolds with 3D microvessel networks. Here, we describe a new surgical technique to directly connect host femoral arteries to patterned microvessel networks. Vessel networks were connected in vivo in a rat femoral artery graft model. We utilized laser Doppler imaging to monitor hind limb ischemia for several hours after implantation and thus measured the vascular patency of implants that were anastomosed to the femoral artery. This study may provide a method to overcome the challenge of rapid oxygen and nutrient delivery to engineered vascularized tissues implanted in vivo.