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Simultaneous Electrical and Mechanical Stimulation to Enhance Cells' Cardiomyogenic Potential
Published on: January 18, 2019
Electrical Stimulation Directs Formation of Perfused Vasculature in Engineered Tissues
Katarzyna A Grzelak1,2, Ashley D Westerfield1,2, Vardhman Kumar2
1Harvard-MIT Health Sciences and Technology, Institute for Medical Engineering and Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.
Summary
Electrical stimulation (ESTIM) enhances blood vessel formation in engineered tissues. This method promotes perfusable vascular networks and improves graft integration, offering a scalable solution for tissue engineering.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Tissue Engineering
- Regenerative Medicine
Background:
- Vascularization is critical for engineered tissues but faces scalability challenges with current methods.
- Existing techniques for in vitro vascularization are complex, costly, and labor-intensive.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate exogenous electrical stimulation (ESTIM) as a novel method to enhance 3D vasculogenesis in engineered human tissues.
- To elucidate the underlying mechanisms of ESTIM-induced vascular network formation.
Main Methods:
- 3D endothelial-fibroblast cocultures were exposed to pulsed ESTIM.
- Microfluidic devices were used to model vascular network formation and assess perfusion.
- Implantation studies evaluated the performance of ESTIM-pretreated vascular grafts.
- Mechanistic studies involved assessing endothelial cell membrane potential and the role of voltage-gated potassium channels (KV).
Main Results:
- Pulsed ESTIM significantly promoted the formation of dense, branched vascular networks in 3D cocultures.
- ESTIM induced perfusable and interconnected vascular networks in microfluidic models.
- IMPLANTED ESTIM-treated grafts showed enhanced host anastomosis and blood perfusion.
- ESTIM induced endothelial cell hyperpolarization via KV channels, a mechanism critical for vasculogenesis.
Conclusions:
- Exogenous electrical stimulation (ESTIM) is an effective, scalable method for promoting 3D vasculogenesis in engineered tissues.
- KV channel-mediated hyperpolarization is a key mechanism driving ESTIM's pro-vasculogenic effects.
- ESTIM represents a promising new approach for generating perfusable vasculature in tissue engineering applications.
