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Updated: Aug 3, 2026
A Novel Stretching Platform for Applications in Cell and Tissue Mechanobiology
Published on: June 3, 2014
The Effect of Mechanical Stretch on the Maturation of Cardiomyocytes
Yaobo Wang1,2,3, Jin Yang1,2,3, Yikang Wu1,2,3
1Institute for Cardiovascular Science & Department of Cardiovascular Surgery of the First Affiliated Hospital, Suzhou Medical College, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215000, China.
Insights
Mechanical stretch promotes cardiomyocyte maturation for heart attack treatments. Combining this with other methods may enhance cell replacement therapy effectiveness for cardiovascular disease.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular research
- Regenerative medicine
- Biomedical engineering
Background:
- Cardiovascular disease is the leading global cause of mortality.
- Myocardial infarction necessitates effective regenerative treatments due to limited cardiomyocyte repair capacity.
- Current cell replacement therapies are hindered by the immature phenotype of derived cardiomyocytes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the impact of mechanical stretch on cardiomyocyte maturation.
- To explore mechanisms, signal transduction pathways, and devices for mechanical stretch stimulation.
- To identify future directions for enhancing induced cardiomyocyte maturation in cardiac tissue engineering.
Main Methods:
- Comprehensive literature review on mechanical stretch effects on cardiomyocytes.
- Analysis of various cardiac tissue engineering strategies.
- Discussion of stimulation devices and techniques for promoting cardiomyocyte maturation.
Main Results:
- Mechanical stretching, simulating physiological conditions, significantly enhances cardiomyocyte structural and functional maturation.
- Various methods, including mechanical and biochemical stimulation and co-culture, are employed in cardiac tissue engineering.
- Mechanical stretch alone may be insufficient for optimal cardiomyocyte maturation.
Conclusions:
- Mechanical stretch is a crucial stimulus for promoting cardiomyocyte maturation in cardiac tissue engineering.
- Combining mechanical stretch with other stimulation methods is a promising future research direction.
- Advancing cardiomyocyte maturation is key to improving cell replacement therapies for myocardial infarction.
Abstract:
Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death worldwide, with myocardial infarction being the most common type among these conditions. Therefore, effective treatments for myocardial infarction are urgently needed. The regenerative capacity of cardiomyocytes (CMs) is limited, prompting an increasing number of research teams to explore cell replacement therapy as a novel approach for treating this condition. However, CMs derived from stem cells or neonatal mouse CMs often retain an immature phenotype, hindering the advancement of cell replacement therapies. Recent years have seen various methods developed for engineering cardiac tissue to enhance the maturation of induced CMs, including mechanical and biochemical stimulation, as well as co-culture techniques. Mechanical stretching, a key mechanical stimulus that simulates the physiological growth environment of the myocardium, plays a crucial role in promoting CM maturation. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the effects of mechanical stretch on CMs, discussing its mechanisms, effects, signal transduction pathways, and stimulation devices (Graphical Abstract). While mechanical stretch effectively enhances the structural and functional maturation of induced CMs, it may not be entirely sufficient on its own. Therefore, investigating combinations of multiple stimulation methods could represent a vital future research direction in cardiac tissue engineering aimed at promoting CM maturation.
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