Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 2, 2025
3D Human Myocardial Tissue Generation Using Melt Electrospinning Writing of Polycaprolactone Scaffolds and hiPSC-Derived Cardiac Cells
Published on: March 28, 2025
Electrospun piezoelectric scaffolds for cardiac tissue engineering
Mariana Ramalho Gomes1, Frederico Castelo Ferreira1, Paola Sanjuan-Alberte1
1Department of Bioengineering and Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1049-001 Lisbon, Portugal; Associate Laboratory i4HB, Institute for Health and Bioeconomy, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1049-001 Lisbon, Portugal.
Piezoelectric materials offer a novel solution for cardiac tissue engineering by providing electrical cues through mechanoelectrical transduction. This review explores their potential to overcome current limitations in stimulating cardiac cells and regenerating heart tissue.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Regenerative Medicine
- Cardiovascular Engineering
Background:
- Tissue engineering often neglects electrical and electromechanical cues crucial for cell development and regeneration.
- Cardiac cells rely on electrical signals for activity and excitation-contraction coupling.
- Current in vitro electrical stimulation methods for cardiac cells are limited in scalability and applicability.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review challenges in cardiac tissue engineering.
- To explore piezoelectric materials as a solution for electrical stimulation.
- To provide the first revision of electrospun piezoelectric materials in cardiac tissue engineering.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of piezoelectric materials in cardiac tissue engineering.
- Focus on electrospinning techniques for scaffold fabrication.
- Analysis of methods for evaluating piezoelectricity.
Main Results:
- Piezoelectric materials can generate electrical signals via mechanoelectrical transduction, mimicking cardiac function.
- Electrospinning produces scaffolds with enhanced piezoelectricity and native-like morphology.
- Existing methods for characterizing piezoelectricity have limitations and lack standardization.
Conclusions:
- Piezoelectric materials hold significant promise for advancing cardiac tissue engineering.
- Electrospun piezoelectric scaffolds offer improved biomimicry and functionality.
- Standardized characterization techniques are needed to advance the field.
