Cells, Scaffolds and Their Interactions in Myocardial Tissue Regeneration

Abstract

Cardiac regenerative therapy includes several techniques to repair and replace damaged tissues and organs using cells, biomaterials, molecules, or a combination of these factors. Generation of heart muscle is the most important challenge in this field, although it is well known that new advances in stem cell isolation and culture techniques in bioreactors and synthesis of bioactive materials contribute to the creation of cardiac tissue regeneration in vitro. Some investigations in stem cell biology shows that stem cells are an important source for regeneration of heart muscle cells and blood vessels and can thus clinically contribute to the regeneration of damaged heart tissue. The aim of this review was to explain the principles and challenges of myocardial tissue regeneration with an emphasis on stem cells and scaffolds. J. Cell. Biochem. 118: 2454-2462, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Minimally Invasive and Regenerative Therapeutics

“…Biomaterials as structurally designed scaffolds have been utilized to provide mechanical support to infarcted tissues [95] . Moreover, the scaffolds have shown to increase angiogenesis by providing topographical cues and reduce cardiac dilation and fibrosis [96] . Another interesting application of scaffolds in cardiac regeneration is in situ tissue engineering by which the scaffolds induce the regeneration based on the host’s tissue response [97] .…”

Notch signaling promotes angiogenesis and improves cardiac function after myocardial infarction

“…Hypoxia/ischemia is one unique feature of MI and immediate restoration of cardiac blood flow after ischemia would contradictorily result in hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R) injury . Therefore, accumulating studies have focused on understanding the mechanism of cardiac H/R injury for the treatment of CHD …”

3D bioprinting for cardiovascular regeneration and pharmacology

“…Therefore, stem cells, including embryonic stem cells (ES), adult stem cells ( i.e. cardiac stem or progenitor cells, bone marrow-or adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells), and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS cells), have widely been used and differentiated into these different cardiac cell types for experimental and clinical applications [9,14,59,81,88]. The majority of these cell types is produced preclinically and is relatively safe and effective in clinical practice.…”

“…Importantly, micro-physiological systems cannot only capture paracrine effects in co-culture, but also offer an opportunity to investigate 3D contact-mediated signaling pathways as well [12]. Stromal cells or MSCs have been used in coculture with CMs and ECs to improve cell viability, myogenesis, angiogenesis, cardiac contractility, and other cardiovascular functions [81,85]. Incorporating cardiac FBs in coculture models has also shown a beneficial result for improving cardiac mechanical properties, increasing electrical coupling, and beating contractility [116].…”