Cardiac Tissue Engineering: A Journey from Scaffold Fabrication to In Vitro Characterization

Cardiac tissue engineering has been rapidly evolving with diverse applications, ranging from the repair of fibrotic tissue caused by "adverse remodeling," to the replacement of specific segments of heart tissue, and ultimately to the creation of a whole heart. The repair or replacement of cardiac tissue often involves the development of tissue scaffolds or constructs and the subsequent assessment of their performance and functionality. For this, the design and/or selection of biomaterials, and cell types, scaffold fabrication, and in vitro characterizations are the first starting points, yet critical, to ensure success in subsequent implantation in vivo. This highlights the importance of scaffold fabrication and in vitro experiments/characterization with protocols for cardiac tissue engineering. Yet, a comprehensive and critical review of these has not been established and documented. As inspired, herein, the latest development and advances in scaffold fabrication and in vitro characterization for cardiac tissue engineering are critically reviewed, with focus on biomaterials, cell types, additive manufacturing techniques for scaffold fabrication, and common in vitro characterization techniques or methods. This article would be of benefit to the ones who are working on cardiac tissue engineering by providing insights into the scaffold fabrication and in vitro investigations.