Electrospun fine-textured scaffolds for heart tissue constructs.

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Tissue Engineering
• Cardiovascular Research

Background:

• Cardiac tissue engineering aims to regenerate damaged heart muscle.
• Biodegradable scaffolds are crucial for mimicking the native cardiac extracellular matrix.
• Controlling scaffold architecture influences cardiomyocyte behavior and tissue development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of electrospun poly(lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) scaffold properties on cardiac myocyte growth and function.
• To explore how scaffold chemistry and micro-architecture guide cardiomyocyte structure and electrical activity.
• To assess the potential of electrospun PLGA for creating functional cardiac tissue constructs.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of biodegradable, non-woven PLGA scaffolds using electrospinning.
• Post-processing to control macro-scale fiber orientation (anisotropy).
• In vitro culture of primary cardiomyocytes (CMs) on scaffolds, followed by SEM, confocal microscopy, and optical imaging of electrical activity.

Main Results:

• PLGA concentration influenced scaffold degradation rate and pH.
• Cardiomyocytes exhibited anisotropic growth on oriented scaffolds and utilized fiber cues.
• Cardiomyocytes cultured on poly(L-lactide) (PLLA) scaffolds developed mature sarcomeres and showed functional excitability.
• Scaffold surface chemistry (hydrophobicity) affected cell attachment and structure.

Conclusions:

• Engineered cardiac tissue structure and function are significantly modulated by the chemistry and nano/micro-texture of biomaterial scaffolds.
• Electrospinning offers a versatile method for designing biomaterials with tunable architectures for cardiac tissue regeneration.
• Scaffold design is critical for guiding cardiomyocyte growth, maturation, and functional integration.