Cardiomyocyte Growth on Cardiac Infusible Extracellular Matrix-Coated and Annealed Biodegradable Polyurethane Fibers

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Tissue Engineering
• Cardiovascular Research

Background:

• Biodegradable polyurethane (PU) fibers mimic the extracellular matrix for tissue repair.
• However, PU fibers shrink under physiological conditions, altering their structure.
• This limits their application in cardiac cell culture.

Purpose of the Study:

• To mitigate shrinkage in electrospun PU fibers.
• To enhance the functionality of PU fibers for cardiac cell applications.
• To investigate the effects of thermal annealing and extracellular matrix (ECM) coating.

Main Methods:

• Aligned PU fibers were thermally annealed at 50 °C and 100 °C.
• Fibers annealed at 100 °C were coated with pig heart-derived infusible ECM (iECM).
• Morphological stability, hydrophilicity, cell proliferation (H9c2), and cardiac differentiation markers were assessed.

Main Results:

• 100 °C annealing significantly reduced PU fiber shrinkage and fiber diameter.
• iECM coating enhanced surface hydrophilicity and promoted H9c2 cell proliferation.
• Cardiac markers (Cx43, TNNT2, MYL2) were upregulated on iECM-coated fibers, indicating enhanced differentiation.

Conclusions:

• 100 °C-annealed PU fibers with iECM coating exhibit improved morphological stability and biofunction.
• This combination is suitable for cardiac cell culture and holds potential for cardiac tissue repair.
• Optimized PU scaffolds can advance regenerative medicine strategies.