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Updated: Dec 25, 2025
Electrically Conductive Scaffold to Modulate and Deliver Stem Cells
Published on: April 13, 2018
Design and characterization of an electroconductive scaffold for cardiomyocytes based biomedical assays
Melika Parchehbaf-Kashani1, Mohammadmajid Sepantafar2, Mahmood Talkhabi1
1Department of Animal Sciences and Biotechnology, Faculty of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran.
Insights
Researchers developed a novel electroconductive scaffold using cardiac extracellular matrix and polypyrrole. This biomaterial supports cardiomyocyte function, offering a promising in vitro model for cardiovascular research and regenerative medicine.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Cardiovascular Research
- Tissue Engineering
Background:
- Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are a leading global cause of mortality.
- Limitations exist in accessing heart tissue and in the physiological relevance of animal models for cardiovascular studies.
- There is a critical need for functional in vitro cardiac models for research and drug development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To synthesize a novel electroconductive scaffold using cardiac extracellular matrix (ECM) and polypyrrole (Ppy).
- To evaluate the scaffold's properties and its ability to support cardiomyocyte function for in vitro cardiac modeling.
Main Methods:
- A novel electroconductive scaffold was fabricated by blending cardiac ECM-derived pre-cardiogel (pCG) with polypyrrole (Ppy) using a freeze-dried method.
- The scaffold's porosity, mechanical properties (stiffness), and electrical conductivity were characterized.
- Neonatal mouse cardiomyocytes (NMCMs) were seeded onto the scaffolds to assess adhesion, viability, gene expression, and functional beating over 14 days.
Main Results:
- The optimal scaffold formulation (2.5% Ppy) maintained vital ECM components and exhibited interconnected pores.
- Ppy incorporation enhanced scaffold stiffness and significantly increased electrical conductivity compared to controls.
- Scaffolds supported NMCM adhesion, viability, and cardiac-specific gene expression, with enhanced synchronous beating and upregulation of key cardiac genes (cTNT, Cx43) in the CG-Ppy group.
Conclusions:
- The developed ECM-based electroconductive scaffold demonstrates excellent biocompatibility and functional support for cardiomyocytes.
- This novel biomaterial holds significant potential as a substrate for advanced in vitro cardiac models.
- Applications include drug testing, disease modeling, developmental studies, and cardiac regenerative approaches.
Abstract:
Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are a major cause of mortality worldwide. Accessibility to heart tissue is limited due to sampling issues and lack of appropriate culture conditions. In addition, animal models are not an ideal choice for physiological, pharmacological, and fundamental evaluations in the cardiovascular field due to interspecies differences. Hence, there is an inevitable need for functional in vitro cardiac models. In this study, we have synthesized a novel electroconductive scaffold comprised of cardiac extracellular matrix (ECM) derived pre-cardiogel (pCG) blended with polypyrrole (Ppy). Our data revealed that 2.5% (w/v) pyrrole (Py) had the highest possible Py ratio that provided pCG-Ppy gel formation. The prepared mixture was fabricated into a scaffold by using the freeze-dried method. The scaffolds had open interconnected pores that ranged from 55 ± 24 μm for the cardiogel (CG)-Ppy to 74 ± 26 μm for the CG scaffolds, with no alterations in vital ECM components of collagen, polysaccharides, and glycosaminoglycans (GAGs). Incorporation of Ppy increased the CG stiffness with a final complex modulus from 80 pa to 140 pa. The CG-Ppy group had significantly greater electrical conductivity than the CG group. Scaffolds supported neonatal mouse cardiomyocyte (NMCM) adhesion, viability, cardiac-specific gene expression, and spontaneous beating up to 14 days after seeding. Among the fabricated hydrogels, the CG-Ppy group resulted in the synchronous beating of cardiomyocyte clusters and upregulation of cardiac genes involved in cardiac muscle contraction (cardiac troponin T [cTNT]) and cardiomyocyte electrical coupling (connexin 43 [Cx43]). Thus, this ECM-based electro-conductive scaffold might provide a promising substrate for constructing in vitro cardiac models for drug testing, disease modeling, developmental studies, and cardiac regenerative approaches.
