Synthetic oxygen carriers in cardiac tissue engineering

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Regenerative Medicine
• Cardiovascular Research

Background:

• Cardiovascular diseases necessitate novel treatments, with tissue engineering offering a promising avenue.
• A key challenge in cardiac tissue engineering is ensuring adequate oxygen supply to all cells within engineered constructs.
• Synthetic oxygen carriers present a potential solution due to their high oxygen affinity and biocompatibility.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of a perfluorocarbon (PFC)-based oxygen carrier (Oxygent) on oxygen delivery in tissue-engineered cardiac constructs.
• To investigate the effects of enhanced oxygen supply on cell viability and the development of cardiac-like phenotypes.

Main Methods:

• Utilized porous biorubber scaffolds with channel architectures mimicking capillary networks.
• Seeded scaffolds with cardiomyocytes and fibroblasts.
• Cultivated constructs in medium supplemented with a PFC-based oxygen carrier.
• Performed experimental and modeling studies to assess oxygen transport and concentration.

Main Results:

• The presence of the PFC oxygen carrier significantly enhanced oxygen transport within the constructs.
• Increased oxygen concentrations were observed in the engineered cardiac tissues.
• Constructs supplemented with PFC exhibited a stronger cardiac-like phenotype.

Conclusions:

• Perfluorocarbon-based synthetic oxygen carriers effectively improve oxygenation in cardiac tissue engineering.
• Enhanced oxygen delivery promotes better cellular function and the development of desired tissue characteristics.
• Synthetic oxygen carriers are a viable strategy to overcome oxygenation limitations in cardiac tissue engineering.