In situ polymerization of a conductive polymer in acellular muscle tissue constructs

We present a method to chemically deposit a conductive polymer, poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT), on acellularized muscle tissue constructs. Morphology and structure of the deposition was characterized using optical and scanning electron microscopies (SEM). The micrographs showed elongated, smooth, tubular PEDOT structures completely penetrating and surrounding the tissue fibers. The chemical polymerization was performed using iron chloride, a mild oxidizer. Remaining iron and chlorine in the tissue constructs were reduced to acceptable metabolic levels, while preserving the structural integrity of the tissue. We expect that these acellular, polymerized tissue implants will remain essentially unmodified in cellular environments in vitro and in vivo because of the chemical and thermal stability of the PEDOT polymer depositions. Our results indicate that in situ polymerization occurs throughout the tissue, converting it into an extensive acellular, non-antigenic substrate of interest for in vivo experiments related to nerve repair and bioartificial prosthesis. We expect these conducting polymer scaffolds to be useful for direct integration with electronically and ionically active tissues.