Advanced electroactive nanofibrous patches for cardiac tissue regeneration: a comprehensive review

Cardiovascular diseases are among the leading causes of global mortality, second only to cancer. Following a myocardial infarction, cardiac tissue undergoes irreversible damage. Due to the limited regenerative capacity of adult cardiomyocytes (CMs), there is a pressing need for supportive biomaterials that can mimic the heart's biochemical and biomechanical microenvironment while promoting cellular proliferation and tissue regeneration. Electrospun nanofiber scaffolds have emerged as a promising approach due to their ability to replicate the fibrous, anisotropic architecture of native cardiac tissue. These scaffolds are widely employed in cardiac tissue engineering, particularly for the development of cardiac patches. Incorporating electroconductive materials into nanofibrous scaffolds has been explored as a strategy to enhance intracellular signaling and promote synchronized CM contractions via electroactive substrates. Unlike commercialized cardiac patches, which primarily offer mechanical support without enabling tissue regeneration, emerging electroconductive scaffolds offer significant potential to overcome this limitation. This review evaluates various nanofiber-based cardiac patches with electrical conductivity, focusing on key components such as carbon-based materials, metallic nanoparticles, conductive polymers, and piezoelectric materials. Additionally, we discuss the role of electroconductive nanomaterials in improving the electrical and mechanical properties of cardiac scaffolds. The article also provides an overview of recent advancements in electroconductive electrospun scaffolds for cardiac tissue engineering and outlines current challenges and future prospects in this field.