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Design of a Fibrin Microthread-Based Composite Layer for Use in a Cardiac Patch
Megan O Chrobak1, Katrina J Hansen1, Joshua R Gershlak1
1Department of Biomedical Engineering, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, 100 Institute Road, Worcester, Massachusetts 01609, United States.
ACS Biomaterials Science & Engineering
|January 12, 2021
Summary
Researchers created tunable cardiac patches using fibrin microthreads. These patches improved cell alignment and mechanical properties without compromising cell function, offering potential for heart attack therapies.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Tissue Engineering
- Cardiovascular Research
Background:
- Myocardial infarctions (heart attacks) cause significant damage to heart tissue.
- Developing effective cardiac patches requires modulating mechanical properties and cell alignment while maintaining cell functionality.
- Fibrin-based hydrogels offer a promising scaffold material for cardiac tissue engineering.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop fibrin-based composite layers with tunable mechanical properties and controlled cell alignment.
- To investigate the impact of aligned microthreads on scaffold mechanics and cell behavior.
- To assess whether these composite layers support essential cell functionality for cardiac repair.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of fibrin-based composite layers with varying microthread volume fractions (approximately 5%, 11%, and 22%).
- Quantification of scaffold mechanical properties (moduli) using mechanical testing.
- Analysis of cell-mediated contractile strains and frequencies to evaluate cell functionality.
- Microscopic examination of cell orientation and nuclear alignment in relation to microthreads.
Main Results:
- Increasing microthread volume fraction significantly enhanced scaffold moduli (e.g., from 20.6 kPa to 97.5 kPa).
- No significant differences in cell-mediated contractile strains and frequencies were observed compared to controls, indicating preserved cell functionality.
- Enhanced nuclear alignment of cells was observed within 100 μm of the fibrin microthreads, demonstrating microthread-induced cell orientation.
Conclusions:
- Fibrin-based composite layers with aligned microthreads provide tunable mechanical properties.
- These composite layers effectively promote cell alignment without hindering cell functionality.
- The developed cardiac patches show potential for improving therapies for myocardial infarctions.
