Modulating hESC-derived cardiomyocyte and endothelial cell function with triple-helical peptides for heart tissue...

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Cardiovascular Research
• Tissue Engineering

Background:

• Engineered cardiac patches are crucial for myocardial repair after infarction.
• These patches require cardiomyocytes (CMs) and supportive cells like endothelial cells (ECs) for vascularization and CM function modulation.
• Native myocardium function relies on cell-specific interactions with collagen.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the role of cardiomyocyte and endothelial cell interactions with collagen in vitro.
• To develop triple-helical peptides (THPs) that mimic these cell-collagen interactions.
• To assess THP-functionalized biomaterials for improved engineered cardiac tissue assembly.

Main Methods:

• Utilized human embryonic stem cell (hESC)-derived CMs and ECs.
• Seeded cells on biomaterials functionalized with THPs to replicate cell-collagen interactions.
• Evaluated cell proliferation, activity, maturation, and coordinated contraction.

Main Results:

• THPs enhanced proliferation and activity of both CMs and ECs, individually and in co-culture.
• THPs promoted CM maturation and enabled coordinated cellular contraction on collagen films.
• Demonstrated the importance of collagen interactions in directing cellular responses.

Conclusions:

• Cell-collagen interactions are critical for cellular responses in engineered cardiac tissues.
• THP-functionalized biomaterials are effective tools for directing cell behavior.
• This approach advances the development of engineered cardiac tissues for myocardial repair.