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Probing Collective Mechanoadaptation in Cardiomyocyte Development by Plasma Lithography Patterned Elastomeric
Nima Jamilpour1, Ki-Hwan Nam1,2, Carol C Gregorio3
1Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, The University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721, United States.
ACS Biomaterials Science & Engineering
|January 13, 2021
Summary
Cardiomyocytes adapt collectively to mechanical cues in their microenvironment, influencing their development and function. This study reveals how substrate stiffness and geometric confinement impact cardiac microtissue characteristics.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Regenerative Medicine
- Cardiovascular Research
Background:
- Understanding the mechanical microenvironment's role in cardiomyocyte development is vital for in vitro heart models.
- This knowledge aids in designing biomaterials for regenerative medicine and drug screening.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how mechanical microenvironments affect neonatal cardiomyocyte development using plasma lithography.
- To explore the collective adaptation of cardiomyocytes to geometric confinement and substrate stiffness.
Main Methods:
- Plasma lithography patterning of elastomeric substrates to create microtissues.
- Immunofluorescence microscopy, video microscopy, and force spectroscopy to analyze cardiomyocyte attributes.
- Computational analysis to correlate mechanical stress with cardiomyocyte characteristics.
Main Results:
- Cardiomyocyte clusters adapt to geometric confinement and substrate stiffness.
- Microenvironmental cues regulate cluster size, shape, sarcomere length, fiber alignment, beating amplitude, and frequency.
- Mechanical stress at the cluster-substrate interface correlates with cardiomyocyte characteristics.
Conclusions:
- Cardiomyocytes exhibit a collective mechanoadaptation scheme during development.
- Findings advance the creation of in vitro cardiac models and tissue constructs.
