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3D Graphene Oxide-Polyethylenimine Scaffolds for Cardiac Tissue Engineering
Serena Pilato1, Samanta Moffa1, Gabriella Siani1
1Dipartimento di Farmacia, Università "G. d'Annunzio" di Chieti-Pescara, Via dei Vestini, 66100 Chieti, Italy.
ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces
|March 7, 2023
Summary
Researchers developed novel 3D graphene oxide scaffolds for cardiac tissue engineering. These biocompatible, conductive materials support cardiac cell growth and promote gap junction formation, aiding heart repair.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Nanotechnology
- Tissue Engineering
Background:
- Cardiac tissue engineering requires 3D scaffolds with specific mechanical properties, electrical conductivity, and porosity for cell and nutrient transport.
- Graphene oxide (GO) offers potential but faces challenges in processability and conductivity.
- Hybrid nanomaterials combining GO with other polymers present a promising solution.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop novel, biocompatible, and conductive 3D scaffolds for cardiac tissue engineering.
- To create hybrid scaffolds using functionalized graphene oxide (GO) and polyethylenimine (PEI) with controlled architecture.
- To evaluate the suitability of these scaffolds for repairing damaged heart tissue and for in vitro cardiac modeling.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a layer-by-layer technique involving sequential dipping in GO and PEI aqueous solutions to create 3D hybrid architectures.
- Chemically functionalized GO with PEI, exploiting reactions between GO's epoxydic/carboxylate groups and PEI's amino groups.
- Investigated scaffold thickness, porosity, elasticity modulus, and biocompatibility with HL-1 cardiac cells.
Main Results:
- Successfully manufactured 3D hybrid GO-PEI scaffolds with tunable thickness and porosity.
- Elasticity modulus was dependent on scaffold thickness, with lower values observed in thicker samples.
- Scaffolds demonstrated excellent biocompatibility, promoting HL-1 cell adhesion, growth, and cardiac marker expression (Connexin-43, Nkx 2.5).
- A significant increase in gap junctions was observed in HL-1 cells cultured on the scaffolds compared to controls.
Conclusions:
- Developed a novel strategy for producing biocompatible 3D GO scaffolds covalently functionalized with amino-based spacers.
- Overcame limitations of pristine graphene processability and GO conductivity.
- The developed scaffolds are advantageous for cardiac tissue engineering, particularly for repairing damaged heart tissue and for 3D in vitro cardiac modeling.
