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Implantation of Engineered Tissue in the Rat Heart
Published on: June 24, 2009
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Engineered cardiac tissue patch maintains structural and electrical properties after epicardial implantation
Christopher P Jackman1, Asvin M Ganapathi2, Huda Asfour1
1Duke University, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Durham, NC, USA.
Biomaterials
|January 9, 2018
Summary
Engineered cardiac tissue patches are highly functional and vascularized after engraftment but fail to electrically integrate with host heart tissue. This lack of integration presents a major hurdle for developing effective tissue engineering therapies for heart repair.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Regenerative Medicine
- Cardiovascular Research
Background:
- Cardiac tissue engineering aims to create functional myocardial grafts for treating heart conditions.
- Achieving electromechanical coupling between engineered tissue and host myocardium is crucial for therapeutic efficacy.
- Previous efforts have faced challenges in ensuring proper integration and function of cardiac grafts.
Purpose of the Study:
- To engineer highly functional cardiac tissue patches with strong contraction and fast conduction.
- To assess the engraftment, electrical properties, and host integration of these engineered patches.
- To identify barriers to electrical integration for improving cardiac tissue engineering therapies.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of 1 cm x 1 cm cardiac tissue patches from neonatal rat ventricular cells.
- In vitro characterization of force of contraction, conduction velocity, and pacing response.
- In vivo implantation onto adult rat ventricles and assessment using optical mapping (GCaMP6 and RH237).
- Analysis of graft vascularization, structural integrity, and electromechanical junction formation.
Main Results:
- Engineered patches demonstrated robust contractile force (18.0 ± 1.4 mN) and high conduction velocity (32.3 ± 1.8 cm/s).
- Implanted patches (85% engraftment) maintained structural integrity and electrical function post-implantation.
- Despite vascularization and electromechanical junctions, no electrical integration between graft and host myocardium was observed.
Conclusions:
- Highly functional cardiac tissue patches can be engineered and successfully engrafted, vascularized, and maintain electrical function.
- A critical obstacle to effective cardiac tissue engineering therapies is the failure of graft-host electrical integration.
- Further research is needed to overcome the lack of electrical coupling for successful heart repair strategies.
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