1
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Bravo-Olín J, Martínez-Carreón SA, Francisco-Solano E, Lara AR, Beltran-Vargas NE. Analysis of the role of perfusion, mechanical, and electrical stimulation in bioreactors for cardiac tissue engineering. Bioprocess Biosyst Eng 2024; 47:767-839. [PMID: 38643271 DOI: 10.1007/s00449-024-03004-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2023] [Accepted: 03/13/2024] [Indexed: 04/22/2024]
Abstract
Since cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are globally one of the leading causes of death, of which myocardial infarction (MI) can cause irreversible damage and decrease survivors' quality of life, novel therapeutics are needed. Current approaches such as organ transplantation do not fully restore cardiac function or are limited. As a valuable strategy, tissue engineering seeks to obtain constructs that resemble myocardial tissue, vessels, and heart valves using cells, biomaterials as scaffolds, biochemical and physical stimuli. The latter can be induced using a bioreactor mimicking the heart's physiological environment. An extensive review of bioreactors providing perfusion, mechanical and electrical stimulation, as well as the combination of them is provided. An analysis of the stimulations' mechanisms and modes that best suit cardiac construct culture is developed. Finally, we provide insights into bioreactor configuration and culture assessment properties that need to be elucidated for its clinical translation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorge Bravo-Olín
- Biological Engineering Undergraduate Program, Division of Natural Science and Engineering, Universidad Autonoma Metropolitana-Cuajimalpa, Ciudad de Mexico C.P. 05348, México
| | - Sabina A Martínez-Carreón
- Biological Engineering Undergraduate Program, Division of Natural Science and Engineering, Universidad Autonoma Metropolitana-Cuajimalpa, Ciudad de Mexico C.P. 05348, México
| | - Emmanuel Francisco-Solano
- Natural Science and Engineering Graduate Program, Universidad Autonoma Metropolitana-Cuajimalpa, Ciudad de Mexico C.P. 05348, México
| | - Alvaro R Lara
- Department of Biological and Chemical Engineering, Aarhus University, Gustav Wieds Vej 10, 8000, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Nohra E Beltran-Vargas
- Process and Technology Department, Division of Natural Science and Engineering, Universidad Autonoma Metropolitana-Cuajimalpa, Ciudad de Mexico C.P. 05348, México.
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2
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Elkhoury K, Kodeih S, Enciso-Martínez E, Maziz A, Bergaud C. Advancing Cardiomyocyte Maturation: Current Strategies and Promising Conductive Polymer-Based Approaches. Adv Healthc Mater 2024; 13:e2303288. [PMID: 38349615 DOI: 10.1002/adhm.202303288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2023] [Revised: 01/31/2024] [Indexed: 02/21/2024]
Abstract
Cardiovascular diseases are a leading cause of mortality and pose a significant burden on healthcare systems worldwide. Despite remarkable progress in medical research, the development of effective cardiovascular drugs has been hindered by high failure rates and escalating costs. One contributing factor is the limited availability of mature cardiomyocytes (CMs) for accurate disease modeling and drug screening. Human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived CMs offer a promising source of CMs; however, their immature phenotype presents challenges in translational applications. This review focuses on the road to achieving mature CMs by summarizing the major differences between immature and mature CMs, discussing the importance of adult-like CMs for drug discovery, highlighting the limitations of current strategies, and exploring potential solutions using electro-mechano active polymer-based scaffolds based on conductive polymers. However, critical considerations such as the trade-off between 3D systems and nutrient exchange, biocompatibility, degradation, cell adhesion, longevity, and integration into wider systems must be carefully evaluated. Continued advancements in these areas will contribute to a better understanding of cardiac diseases, improved drug discovery, and the development of personalized treatment strategies for patients with cardiovascular disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kamil Elkhoury
- LAAS-CNRS, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, Toulouse, F-31400, France
| | - Sacha Kodeih
- Faculty of Medicine and Medical Sciences, University of Balamand, Tripoli, P.O. Box 100, Lebanon
| | | | - Ali Maziz
- LAAS-CNRS, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, Toulouse, F-31400, France
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3
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Rivera-Torres F, Maciel-Cerda A, González-Gómez GH, Falcón-Neri A, Gómez-Lizárraga K, Esquivel-Posadas HT, Vera-Graziano R. In Vitro Modulation of Spontaneous Activity in Embryonic Cardiomyocytes Cultured on Poly(vinyl alcohol)/Bioglass Type 58S Electrospun Scaffolds. NANOMATERIALS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2024; 14:372. [PMID: 38392745 PMCID: PMC10892114 DOI: 10.3390/nano14040372] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2024] [Revised: 02/12/2024] [Accepted: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024]
Abstract
Because of the physiological and cardiac changes associated with cardiovascular disease, tissue engineering can potentially restore the biological functions of cardiac tissue through the fabrication of scaffolds. In the present study, hybrid nanofiber scaffolds of poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and bioglass type 58S (58SiO2-33CaO-9P2O5, Bg) were fabricated, and their effect on the spontaneous activity of chick embryonic cardiomyocytes in vitro was determined. PVA/Bg nanofibers were produced by electrospinning and stabilized by chemical crosslinking with glutaraldehyde. The electrospun scaffolds were analyzed to determine their chemical structure, morphology, and thermal transitions. The crosslinked scaffolds were more stable to degradation in water. A Bg concentration of 25% in the hybrid scaffolds improved thermal stability and decreased degradation in water after PVA crosslinking. Cardiomyocytes showed increased adhesion and contractility in cells seeded on hybrid scaffolds with higher Bg concentrations. In addition, the effect of Ca2+ ions released from the bioglass on the contraction patterns of cultured cardiomyocytes was investigated. The results suggest that the scaffolds with 25% Bg led to a uniform beating frequency that resulted in synchronous contraction patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Filiberto Rivera-Torres
- Facultad de Química, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Circuito Escolar de Ciudad Universitaria, Coyoacán, Ciudad de México 04510, Mexico; (F.R.-T.); (H.T.E.-P.)
| | - Alfredo Maciel-Cerda
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Materiales, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Circuito Escolar de Ciudad Universitaria, Coyoacán, Ciudad de México 04510, Mexico;
| | - Gertrudis Hortensia González-Gómez
- Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Circuito Escolar de Ciudad Universitaria, Coyoacán, Ciudad de México 04510, Mexico; (G.H.G.-G.); (A.F.-N.)
| | - Alicia Falcón-Neri
- Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Circuito Escolar de Ciudad Universitaria, Coyoacán, Ciudad de México 04510, Mexico; (G.H.G.-G.); (A.F.-N.)
| | - Karla Gómez-Lizárraga
- Cátedra CONAHCyT/Instituto de Investigaciones en Materiales, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Circuito Escolar de Ciudad Universitaria, Coyoacán, Ciudad de México 04510, Mexico;
| | - Héctor Tomás Esquivel-Posadas
- Facultad de Química, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Circuito Escolar de Ciudad Universitaria, Coyoacán, Ciudad de México 04510, Mexico; (F.R.-T.); (H.T.E.-P.)
| | - Ricardo Vera-Graziano
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Materiales, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Circuito Escolar de Ciudad Universitaria, Coyoacán, Ciudad de México 04510, Mexico;
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4
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Cumberland MJ, Euchner J, Azad AJ, T N Vo N, Kirchhof P, Holmes AP, Denning C, Gehmlich K. Generation of a human iPSC-derived cardiomyocyte/fibroblast engineered heart tissue model. F1000Res 2024; 12:1224. [PMID: 38298530 PMCID: PMC10828555 DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.139482.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/09/2024] [Indexed: 02/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Animal models have proven integral to broadening our understanding of complex cardiac diseases but have been hampered by significant species-dependent differences in cellular physiology. Human-induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs) have shown great promise in the modelling of cardiac diseases despite limitations in functional and structural maturity. 3D stem cell-derived cardiac models represent a step towards mimicking the intricate microenvironment present in the heart as an in vitro model. Incorporation of non-myocyte cell types, such as cardiac fibroblasts, into engineered heart tissue models (EHTs) can help better recapitulate the cell-to-cell and cell-to-matrix interactions present in the human myocardium. Integration of human-induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiac fibroblasts (hiPSC-CFs) and hiPSC-CM into EHT models enables the generation of a genetically homogeneous modelling system capable of exploring the abstruse structural and electrophysiological interplay present in cardiac pathophysiology. Furthermore, the construction of more physiologically relevant 3D cardiac models offers great potential in the replacement of animals in heart disease research. Here we describe efficient and reproducible protocols for the differentiation of hiPSC-CMs and hiPSC-CFs and their subsequent assimilation into EHTs. The resultant EHT consists of longitudinally arranged iPSC-CMs, incorporated alongside hiPSC-CFs. EHTs with both hiPSC-CMs and hiPSC-CFs exhibit slower beating frequencies and enhanced contractile force compared to those composed of hiPSC-CMs alone. The modified protocol may help better characterise the interplay between different cell types in the myocardium and their contribution to structural remodelling and cardiac fibrosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Max J Cumberland
- Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, England, B15 2TT, UK
| | - Jonas Euchner
- Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, England, B15 2TT, UK
- Centre of Membrane Proteins and Receptors, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, England, B15 2TT, UK
| | - Amar J Azad
- Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, England, B15 2TT, UK
| | - Nguyen T N Vo
- Biodiscovery Institute, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, England, NG7 2RD, UK
| | - Paulus Kirchhof
- Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, England, B15 2TT, UK
- Department of Cardiology, University Heart and Vascular Center Hamburg, Universitat Hamburg, Hamburg, Hamburg, 20251, Germany
| | - Andrew P Holmes
- Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, England, B15 2TT, UK
- Institute of Clinical Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, England, B15 2TT, UK
| | - Chris Denning
- Biodiscovery Institute, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, England, NG7 2RD, UK
| | - Katja Gehmlich
- Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, England, B15 2TT, UK
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, England, OX3 9DU, UK
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5
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Chen X, Liu S, Han M, Long M, Li T, Hu L, Wang L, Huang W, Wu Y. Engineering Cardiac Tissue for Advanced Heart-On-A-Chip Platforms. Adv Healthc Mater 2024; 13:e2301338. [PMID: 37471526 DOI: 10.1002/adhm.202301338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2023] [Revised: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 07/17/2023] [Indexed: 07/22/2023]
Abstract
Cardiovascular disease is a major cause of mortality worldwide, and current preclinical models including traditional animal models and 2D cell culture models have limitations in replicating human native heart physiology and response to drugs. Heart-on-a-chip (HoC) technology offers a promising solution by combining the advantages of cardiac tissue engineering and microfluidics to create in vitro 3D cardiac models, which can mimic key aspects of human microphysiological systems and provide controllable microenvironments. Herein, recent advances in HoC technologies are introduced, including engineered cardiac microtissue construction in vitro, microfluidic chip fabrication, microenvironmental stimulation, and real-time feedback systems. The development of cardiac tissue engineering methods is focused for 3D microtissue preparation, advanced strategies for HoC fabrication, and current applications of these platforms. Major challenges in HoC fabrication are discussed and the perspective on the potential for these platforms is provided to advance research and clinical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinyi Chen
- Guangdong Engineering Research Center for Translation of Medical 3D Printing Application, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Digital Medicine and Biomechanics, Department of Human Anatomy, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China
| | - Sitian Liu
- Guangdong Engineering Research Center for Translation of Medical 3D Printing Application, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Digital Medicine and Biomechanics, Department of Human Anatomy, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China
| | - Mingying Han
- Biomaterials Research Center, School of Biomedical Engineering, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China
| | - Meng Long
- Guangdong Engineering Research Center for Translation of Medical 3D Printing Application, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Digital Medicine and Biomechanics, Department of Human Anatomy, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China
| | - Ting Li
- Guangdong Engineering Research Center for Translation of Medical 3D Printing Application, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Digital Medicine and Biomechanics, Department of Human Anatomy, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China
| | - Lanlan Hu
- Guangdong Engineering Research Center for Translation of Medical 3D Printing Application, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Digital Medicine and Biomechanics, Department of Human Anatomy, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China
| | - Ling Wang
- Biomaterials Research Center, School of Biomedical Engineering, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China
| | - Wenhua Huang
- Guangdong Engineering Research Center for Translation of Medical 3D Printing Application, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Digital Medicine and Biomechanics, Department of Human Anatomy, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China
| | - Yaobin Wu
- Guangdong Engineering Research Center for Translation of Medical 3D Printing Application, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Digital Medicine and Biomechanics, Department of Human Anatomy, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China
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6
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Kasahara K, Muramatsu J, Kurashina Y, Miura S, Miyata S, Onoe H. Spatiotemporal single-cell tracking analysis in 3D tissues to reveal heterogeneous cellular response to mechanical stimuli. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eadf9917. [PMID: 37831766 PMCID: PMC10575577 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adf9917] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2022] [Accepted: 09/08/2023] [Indexed: 10/15/2023]
Abstract
Mechanical stimuli have been recognized as important for tissue maturation, homeostasis and constructing engineered three-dimensional (3D) tissues. However, we know little about the cellular mechanical response in tissues that could be considerably heterogeneous and spatiotemporally dynamic due to the complex structure of tissues. Here, we report a spatiotemporal single-cell tracking analysis of in vitro 3D tissues under mechanical stretch, to reveal the heterogeneous cellular behavior by using a developed stretch and optical live imaging system. The system could affect the cellular orientation and directly measure the distance of cells in in vitro 3D myoblast tissues (3DMTs) at the single-cell level. Moreover, we observed the spatiotemporal heterogeneous cellular locomotion and shape changes under mechanical stretch in 3DMTs. This single-cell tracking analysis can become a principal method to investigate the heterogeneous cellular response in tissues and provide insights that conventional analyses have not yet offered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keitaro Kasahara
- School of Integrated Design Engineering, Graduate School of Science and Technology, Keio University, 3-14-1 Hiyoshi, Kohoku-ku, Yokohama 223-8522, Japan
| | - Jumpei Muramatsu
- School of Integrated Design Engineering, Graduate School of Science and Technology, Keio University, 3-14-1 Hiyoshi, Kohoku-ku, Yokohama 223-8522, Japan
| | - Yuta Kurashina
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Science and Technology, Keio University, 3-14-1 Hiyoshi, Kohoku-ku, Yokohama 223-8522, Japan
- Division of Advanced Mechanical Systems Engineering, Institute of Engineering, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 2-24-16 Nakacho, Koganei-shi, Tokyo 184-8588, Japan
| | - Shigenori Miura
- Department of Mechano-Informatics, Graduate School of Information Science and Technology, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan
| | - Shogo Miyata
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Science and Technology, Keio University, 3-14-1 Hiyoshi, Kohoku-ku, Yokohama 223-8522, Japan
| | - Hiroaki Onoe
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Science and Technology, Keio University, 3-14-1 Hiyoshi, Kohoku-ku, Yokohama 223-8522, Japan
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7
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Bernava G, Iop L. Advances in the design, generation, and application of tissue-engineered myocardial equivalents. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2023; 11:1247572. [PMID: 37811368 PMCID: PMC10559975 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2023.1247572] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2023] [Accepted: 08/29/2023] [Indexed: 10/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Due to the limited regenerative ability of cardiomyocytes, the disabling irreversible condition of myocardial failure can only be treated with conservative and temporary therapeutic approaches, not able to repair the damage directly, or with organ transplantation. Among the regenerative strategies, intramyocardial cell injection or intravascular cell infusion should attenuate damage to the myocardium and reduce the risk of heart failure. However, these cell delivery-based therapies suffer from significant drawbacks and have a low success rate. Indeed, cardiac tissue engineering efforts are directed to repair, replace, and regenerate native myocardial tissue function. In a regenerative strategy, biomaterials and biomimetic stimuli play a key role in promoting cell adhesion, proliferation, differentiation, and neo-tissue formation. Thus, appropriate biochemical and biophysical cues should be combined with scaffolds emulating extracellular matrix in order to support cell growth and prompt favorable cardiac microenvironment and tissue regeneration. In this review, we provide an overview of recent developments that occurred in the biomimetic design and fabrication of cardiac scaffolds and patches. Furthermore, we sift in vitro and in situ strategies in several preclinical and clinical applications. Finally, we evaluate the possible use of bioengineered cardiac tissue equivalents as in vitro models for disease studies and drug tests.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Laura Iop
- Department of Cardiac Thoracic Vascular Sciences and Public Health, Padua Medical School, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
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8
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Tani H, Kobayashi E, Yagi S, Tanaka K, Kameda-Haga K, Shibata S, Moritoki N, Takatsuna K, Moriwaki T, Sekine O, Umei TC, Morita Y, Soma Y, Kishino Y, Kanazawa H, Fujita J, Hattori S, Fukuda K, Tohyama S. Heart-derived collagen promotes maturation of engineered heart tissue. Biomaterials 2023; 299:122174. [PMID: 37285642 DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2023.122174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2022] [Revised: 05/17/2023] [Accepted: 05/19/2023] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Although the extracellular matrix (ECM) plays essential roles in heart tissue engineering, the optimal ECM components for heart tissue organization have not previously been elucidated. Here, we focused on the main ECM component, fibrillar collagen, and analyzed the effects of collagens on heart tissue engineering, by comparing the use of porcine heart-derived collagen and other organ-derived collagens in generating engineered heart tissue (EHT). We demonstrate that heart-derived collagen induces better contraction and relaxation of human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived EHT (hiPSC-EHT) and that hiPSC-EHT with heart-derived collagen exhibit more mature profiles than those with collagens from other organs. Further, we found that collagen fibril formation and gel stiffness influence the contraction, relaxation, and maturation of hiPSC-EHT, suggesting the importance of collagen types III and type V, which are relatively abundant in the heart. Thus, we demonstrate the effectiveness of organ-specific collagens in tissue engineering and drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hidenori Tani
- Department of Cardiology, Japan; Joint Research Laboratory for Medical Innovation in Heart Disease, Japan
| | - Eiji Kobayashi
- Department of Organ Fabrication, Japan; Department of Kidney Regenerative Medicine, The Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
| | - Shinomi Yagi
- Nippi Research Institute of Biomatrix, Toride, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Keisuke Tanaka
- Nippi Research Institute of Biomatrix, Toride, Ibaraki, Japan
| | | | - Shinsuke Shibata
- Electron Microscope Laboratory, Keio University School of Medicine, Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan; Division of Microscopic Anatomy, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata University, Niigata, Japan
| | - Nobuko Moritoki
- Electron Microscope Laboratory, Keio University School of Medicine, Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan
| | | | | | | | | | - Yuika Morita
- Department of Cardiology, Japan; Kanagawa Institute of Industrial Science and Technology (KISTEC), Kawasaki, Kanagawa, Japan
| | | | | | | | - Jun Fujita
- Department of Cardiology, Japan; Department of Pathology & Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Shunji Hattori
- Department of Kidney Regenerative Medicine, The Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
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9
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Basara G, Bahcecioglu G, Ren X, Zorlutuna P. An Experimental and Numerical Investigation of Cardiac Tissue-Patch Interrelation. J Biomech Eng 2023; 145:081004. [PMID: 37337466 PMCID: PMC10321148 DOI: 10.1115/1.4062736] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2022] [Revised: 06/06/2023] [Accepted: 06/07/2023] [Indexed: 06/21/2023]
Abstract
Tissue engineered cardiac patches have great potential as a regenerative therapy for myocardial infarction. Yet, the mutual interaction of cardiac patches with healthy tissue has not been completely understood. Here, we investigated the impact of acellular and cellular patches on a beating two-dimensional (2D) cardiac cell layer, and the effect of the beating of this layer on the cells encapsulated in the patch. We cultured human-induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (iCMs) on a coverslip and placed gelatin methacryloyl hydrogel alone or with encapsulated iCMs to create acellular and cellular patches, respectively. When the acellular patch was placed on the cardiac cell layer, the beating characteristics and Ca+2 handling properties reduced, whereas placing the cellular patch restored these characteristics. To better understand the effects of the cyclic contraction and relaxation induced by the beating cardiac cell layer on the patch placed on top of it, a simulation model was developed, and the calculated strain values were in agreement with the values measured experimentally. Moreover, this dynamic culture induced by the beating 2D iCM layer on the iCMs encapsulated in the cellular patch improved their beating velocity and frequency. Additionally, the encapsulated iCMs were observed to be coupled with the underlying beating 2D iCM layer. Overall, this study provides a detailed investigation on the mutual relationship of acellular/cellular patches with the beating 2D iCM layer, understanding of which would be valuable for developing more advanced cardiac patches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gozde Basara
- Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, University of Notre Dame, 225 Multidisciplinary Research Building, Notre Dame, IN 46556
| | - Gokhan Bahcecioglu
- Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, University of Notre Dame, 108B Multidisciplinary Research Building, Notre Dame, IN 46556
| | - Xiang Ren
- Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556
| | - Pinar Zorlutuna
- Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556; Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Notre Dame, 143 Multidisciplinary Research Building, Notre Dame, IN 46556
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10
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In vitro cell stretching devices and their applications: From cardiomyogenic differentiation to tissue engineering. MEDICINE IN NOVEL TECHNOLOGY AND DEVICES 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.medntd.2023.100220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/06/2023] Open
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11
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Cheng S, Brenière-Letuffe D, Ahola V, Wong AO, Keung HY, Gurung B, Zheng Z, Costa KD, Lieu DK, Keung W, Li RA. Single-cell RNA sequencing reveals maturation trajectory in human pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes in engineered tissues. iScience 2023; 26:106302. [PMID: 36950112 PMCID: PMC10025988 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.106302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2022] [Revised: 01/04/2023] [Accepted: 02/24/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Cardiac in vitro models have become increasingly obtainable and affordable with the optimization of human pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocyte (hPSC-CM) differentiation. However, these CMs are immature compared to their in vivo counterparts. Here we study the cellular phenotype of hPSC-CMs by comparing their single-cell gene expression and functional profiles in three engineered cardiac tissue configurations: human ventricular (hv) cardiac anisotropic sheet, cardiac tissue strip, and cardiac organoid chamber (hvCOC), with spontaneously aggregated 3D cardiac spheroids (CS) as control. The CM maturity was found to increase with increasing levels of complexity of the engineered tissues from CS to hvCOC. The contractile components are the first function to mature, followed by electrophysiology and oxidative metabolism. Notably, the 2D tissue constructs show a higher cellular organization whereas metabolic maturity preferentially increases in the 3D constructs. We conclude that the tissue engineering models resembling configurations of native tissues may be reliable for drug screening or disease modeling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shangli Cheng
- Ming Wai Lau Centre for Reparative Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - David Brenière-Letuffe
- Ming Wai Lau Centre for Reparative Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Hong Kong SAR, China
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Intervention and Technology, CLINTEC, Karolinska Institutet, 141 52 Stockholm, Sweden
- Division of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Karolinska Universitetssjukhuset, 141 86 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Virpi Ahola
- Ming Wai Lau Centre for Reparative Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | | | - Hoi Yee Keung
- Ming Wai Lau Centre for Reparative Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Bimal Gurung
- Novoheart, Irvine, CA 92617, USA
- School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Zongli Zheng
- Ming Wai Lau Centre for Reparative Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Kevin D. Costa
- Novoheart, Irvine, CA 92617, USA
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Deborah K. Lieu
- Novoheart, Irvine, CA 92617, USA
- Institute for Regenerative Cures and Stem Cell Program, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA
| | - Wendy Keung
- Novoheart, Irvine, CA 92617, USA
- Dr. Li Dak Sum Research Centre, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Ronald A. Li
- Novoheart, Irvine, CA 92617, USA
- Corresponding author
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12
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Zhou J, Cui B, Wang X, Wang H, Zheng J, Guo F, Sun Y, Fan H, Shen J, Su J, Wang J, Zhao H, Tang Y, Gong T, Sun N, Liang P. Overexpression of KCNJ2 enhances maturation of human-induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes. Stem Cell Res Ther 2023; 14:92. [PMID: 37061738 PMCID: PMC10105952 DOI: 10.1186/s13287-023-03312-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2022] [Accepted: 03/07/2023] [Indexed: 04/17/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Although human-induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (iPSC-CMs) are a promising cell resource for cardiovascular research, these cells exhibit an immature phenotype that hampers their potential applications. The inwardly rectifying potassium channel Kir2.1, encoded by the KCNJ2 gene, has been thought as an important target for promoting electrical maturation of iPSC-CMs. However, a comprehensive characterization of morphological and functional changes in iPSC-CMs overexpressing KCNJ2 (KCNJ2 OE) is still lacking. METHODS iPSC-CMs were generated using a 2D in vitro monolayer differentiation protocol. Human KCNJ2 construct with green fluorescent protein (GFP) tag was created and overexpressed in iPSC-CMs via lentiviral transduction. The mixture of iPSC-CMs and mesenchymal cells was cocultured with decellularized natural heart matrix for generation of 3D human engineered heart tissues (EHTs). RESULTS We showed that mRNA expression level of KCNJ2 in iPSC-CMs was dramatically lower than that in human left ventricular tissues. KCNJ2 OE iPSC-CMs yielded significantly increased protein expression of Kir2.1 and current density of Kir2.1-encoded IK1. The larger IK1 linked to a quiescent phenotype that required pacing to elicit action potentials in KCNJ2 OE iPSC-CMs, which can be reversed by IK1 blocker BaCl2. KCNJ2 OE also led to significantly hyperpolarized maximal diastolic potential (MDP), shortened action potential duration (APD) and increased maximal upstroke velocity. The enhanced electrophysiological maturation in KCNJ2 OE iPSC-CMs was accompanied by improvements in Ca2+ signaling, mitochondrial energy metabolism and transcriptomic profile. Notably, KCNJ2 OE iPSC-CMs exhibited enlarged cell size and more elongated and stretched shape, indicating a morphological phenotype toward structural maturation. Drug testing using hERG blocker E-4031 revealed that a more stable MDP in KCNJ2 OE iPSC-CMs allowed for obtaining significant drug response of APD prolongation in a concentration-dependent manner. Moreover, KCNJ2 OE iPSC-CMs formed more mature human EHTs with better tissue structure and cell junction. CONCLUSIONS Overexpression of KCNJ2 can robustly enhance maturation of iPSC-CMs in electrophysiology, Ca2+ signaling, metabolism, transcriptomic profile, cardiomyocyte structure and tissue engineering, thus providing more accurate cellular model for elucidating cellular and molecular mechanisms of cardiovascular diseases, screening drug-induced cardiotoxicity, and developing personalized and precision cardiovascular medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingjun Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Combined Multi-Organ Transplantation, Ministry of Public Health, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, 79 Qingchun Road, Hangzhou, 310003, Zhejiang, China
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310029, Zhejiang, China
| | - Baiping Cui
- Institute of Geriatrics (Shanghai University), Affiliated Nantong Hospital of Shanghai University (The Sixth People's Hospital of Nantong), School of Medicine, Shanghai University, Nantong, 226011, China
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Organ Repair, School of Medicine, Shanghai University, Shanghai, 200444, China
| | - Xiaochen Wang
- Key Laboratory of Combined Multi-Organ Transplantation, Ministry of Public Health, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, 79 Qingchun Road, Hangzhou, 310003, Zhejiang, China
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310029, Zhejiang, China
| | - Hongkun Wang
- Key Laboratory of Combined Multi-Organ Transplantation, Ministry of Public Health, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, 79 Qingchun Road, Hangzhou, 310003, Zhejiang, China
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310029, Zhejiang, China
| | - Junnan Zheng
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310003, Zhejiang, China
| | - Fengfeng Guo
- Key Laboratory of Combined Multi-Organ Transplantation, Ministry of Public Health, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, 79 Qingchun Road, Hangzhou, 310003, Zhejiang, China
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310029, Zhejiang, China
| | - Yaxun Sun
- Department of Cardiology, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310016, Zhejiang, China
| | - Hangping Fan
- Key Laboratory of Combined Multi-Organ Transplantation, Ministry of Public Health, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, 79 Qingchun Road, Hangzhou, 310003, Zhejiang, China
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310029, Zhejiang, China
| | - Jiaxi Shen
- Key Laboratory of Combined Multi-Organ Transplantation, Ministry of Public Health, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, 79 Qingchun Road, Hangzhou, 310003, Zhejiang, China
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310029, Zhejiang, China
| | - Jun Su
- Key Laboratory of Combined Multi-Organ Transplantation, Ministry of Public Health, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, 79 Qingchun Road, Hangzhou, 310003, Zhejiang, China
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310029, Zhejiang, China
| | - Jue Wang
- Key Laboratory of Combined Multi-Organ Transplantation, Ministry of Public Health, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, 79 Qingchun Road, Hangzhou, 310003, Zhejiang, China
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310029, Zhejiang, China
| | - Haige Zhao
- Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310003, Zhejiang, China
| | - Yiquan Tang
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Tingyu Gong
- Key Laboratory of Combined Multi-Organ Transplantation, Ministry of Public Health, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, 79 Qingchun Road, Hangzhou, 310003, Zhejiang, China.
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310029, Zhejiang, China.
| | - Ning Sun
- Wuxi School of Medicine, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Avenue, Wuxi, 214028, Jiangsu, China.
| | - Ping Liang
- Key Laboratory of Combined Multi-Organ Transplantation, Ministry of Public Health, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, 79 Qingchun Road, Hangzhou, 310003, Zhejiang, China.
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310029, Zhejiang, China.
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13
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Qiu J, Liu XJ, You BA, Ren N, Liu H. Application of Nanomaterials in Stem Cell-Based Therapeutics for Cardiac Repair and Regeneration. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2023; 19:e2206487. [PMID: 36642861 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202206487] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2022] [Revised: 12/16/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Cardiovascular disease is a leading cause of disability and death worldwide. Although the survival rate of patients with heart diseases can be improved with contemporary pharmacological treatments and surgical procedures, none of these therapies provide a significant improvement in cardiac repair and regeneration. Stem cell-based therapies are a promising approach for functional recovery of damaged myocardium. However, the available stem cells are difficult to differentiate into cardiomyocytes, which result in the extremely low transplantation efficiency. Nanomaterials are widely used to regulate the myocardial differentiation of stem cells, and play a very important role in cardiac tissue engineering. This study discusses the current status and limitations of stem cells and cell-derived exosomes/micro RNAs based cardiac therapy, describes the cardiac repair mechanism of nanomaterials, summarizes the recent advances in nanomaterials used in cardiac repair and regeneration, and evaluates the advantages and disadvantages of the relevant nanomaterials. Besides discussing the potential clinical applications of nanomaterials in cardiac therapy, the perspectives and challenges of nanomaterials used in stem cell-based cardiac repair and regeneration are also considered. Finally, new research directions in this field are proposed, and future research trends are highlighted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Qiu
- Medical Research Institute, Jinan Nanjiao Hospital, Jinan, 250002, P. R. China
| | - Xiang-Ju Liu
- Department of Geriatric Medicine, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, 250012, P. R. China
| | - Bei-An You
- Department of Cardiovascular Center, Qilu Hospital (Qingdao), Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, 266035, P. R. China
| | - Na Ren
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Technology and Equipment for Biological Diagnosis and Therapy in Universities of Shandong, Institute for Advanced Interdisciplinary Research (iAIR), School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, University of Jinan, Jinan, 250022, P. R. China
| | - Hong Liu
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Technology and Equipment for Biological Diagnosis and Therapy in Universities of Shandong, Institute for Advanced Interdisciplinary Research (iAIR), School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, University of Jinan, Jinan, 250022, P. R. China
- State Key Laboratory of Crystal Materials, Shandong University, Jinan, 250100, P. R. China
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14
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Yong U, Kim D, Kim H, Hwang DG, Cho S, Nam H, Kim S, Kim T, Jeong U, Kim K, Chung WK, Yeo WH, Jang J. Biohybrid 3D Printing of a Tissue-Sensor Platform for Wireless, Real-Time, and Continuous Monitoring of Drug-Induced Cardiotoxicity. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2023; 35:e2208983. [PMID: 36528341 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202208983] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2022] [Revised: 12/05/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Drug-induced cardiotoxicity is regarded as a major hurdle in the early stages of drug development. Although there are various methods for preclinical cardiotoxicity tests, they cannot completely predict the cardiotoxic potential of a compound due to the lack of physiological relevance. Recently, 3D engineered heart tissue (EHT) has been used to investigate cardiac muscle functions as well as pharmacological effects by exhibiting physiological auxotonic contractions. However, there is still no adequate platform for continuous monitoring to test acute and chronic pharmacological effects in vitro. Here, a biohybrid 3D printing method for fabricating a tissue-sensor platform, composed of a bipillar-grafted strain gauge sensor and EHT, is first introduced. Two pillars are three-dimensionally printed as grafts onto a strain gauge-embedded substrate to promote the EHT contractility and guide the self-assembly of the EHTs along with the strain gauge. In addition, the integration of a wireless multi-channel electronic system allows for continuous monitoring of the EHT contractile force by the tissue-sensor platform and, ultimately, for the observation of the acute and chronic drug effects of cardiotoxicants. In summary, biohybrid 3D printing technology is expected to be a potential fabrication method to provide a next-generation tissue-sensor platform for an effective drug development process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Uijung Yong
- Department of Convergence IT Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Pohang, 37666, Republic of Korea
| | - Donghwan Kim
- School of Interdisciplinary Bioscience and Bioengineering, POSTECH, Pohang, 37666, Republic of Korea
| | - Hojoong Kim
- George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA
| | - Dong Gyu Hwang
- School of Interdisciplinary Bioscience and Bioengineering, POSTECH, Pohang, 37666, Republic of Korea
| | - Sungkeon Cho
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, POSTECH, Pohang, 37673, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyoryung Nam
- Department of Convergence IT Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Pohang, 37666, Republic of Korea
| | - Sejin Kim
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, POSTECH, Pohang, 37673, Republic of Korea
| | - Taeyeong Kim
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, POSTECH, Pohang, 37673, Republic of Korea
| | - Unyong Jeong
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, POSTECH, Pohang, 37673, Republic of Korea
| | - Keehoon Kim
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, POSTECH, Pohang, 37673, Republic of Korea
| | - Wan Kyun Chung
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, POSTECH, Pohang, 37673, Republic of Korea
| | - Woon-Hong Yeo
- George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA
- Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Tech and Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA
- IEN Center for Human-Centric Interfaces and Engineering, Institute for Electronics and Nanotechnology, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA
| | - Jinah Jang
- Department of Convergence IT Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Pohang, 37666, Republic of Korea
- School of Interdisciplinary Bioscience and Bioengineering, POSTECH, Pohang, 37666, Republic of Korea
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, POSTECH, Pohang, 37673, Republic of Korea
- Institute for Convergence Research and Education in Advanced Technology, Yonsei University, Seoul, 03722, Republic of Korea
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15
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Paz-Artigas L, Montero-Calle P, Iglesias-García O, Mazo MM, Ochoa I, Ciriza J. Current approaches for the recreation of cardiac ischaemic environment in vitro. Int J Pharm 2023; 632:122589. [PMID: 36623742 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpharm.2023.122589] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2022] [Revised: 12/14/2022] [Accepted: 01/04/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Myocardial ischaemia is one of the leading dead causes worldwide. Although animal experiments have historically provided a wealth of information, animal models are time and money consuming, and they usually miss typical human patient's characteristics associated with ischemia prevalence, including aging and comorbidities. Generating reliable in vitro models that recapitulate the human cardiac microenvironment during an ischaemic event can boost the development of new drugs and therapeutic strategies, as well as our understanding of the underlying cellular and molecular events, helping the optimization of therapeutic approaches prior to animal and clinical testing. Although several culture systems have emerged for the recreation of cardiac physiology, mimicking the features of an ischaemic heart tissue in vitro is challenging and certain aspects of the disease process remain poorly addressed. Here, current in vitro cardiac culture systems used for modelling cardiac ischaemia, from self-aggregated organoids to scaffold-based constructs and heart-on-chip platforms are described. The advantages of these models to recreate ischaemic hallmarks such as oxygen gradients, pathological alterations of mechanical strength or fibrotic responses are highlighted. The new models represent a step forward to be considered, but unfortunately, we are far away from recapitulating all complexity of the clinical situations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Paz-Artigas
- Tissue Microenvironment (TME) Lab, Aragón Institute of Engineering Research (I3A), University of Zaragoza, 50018 Zaragoza, Spain; Institute for Health Research Aragón (IIS Aragón), 50009 Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Pilar Montero-Calle
- Regenerative Medicine Program, Cima Universidad de Navarra, and Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra (IdiSNA), Pamplona, Spain
| | - Olalla Iglesias-García
- Regenerative Medicine Program, Cima Universidad de Navarra, and Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra (IdiSNA), Pamplona, Spain
| | - Manuel M Mazo
- Regenerative Medicine Program, Cima Universidad de Navarra, and Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra (IdiSNA), Pamplona, Spain; Hematology and Cell Therapy, Clínica Universidad de Navarra, and Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Navarra (IdiSNA), Pamplona, Spain
| | - Ignacio Ochoa
- Tissue Microenvironment (TME) Lab, Aragón Institute of Engineering Research (I3A), University of Zaragoza, 50018 Zaragoza, Spain; Institute for Health Research Aragón (IIS Aragón), 50009 Zaragoza, Spain; CIBER-BBN, ISCIII, Zaragoza, Spain.
| | - Jesús Ciriza
- Tissue Microenvironment (TME) Lab, Aragón Institute of Engineering Research (I3A), University of Zaragoza, 50018 Zaragoza, Spain; Institute for Health Research Aragón (IIS Aragón), 50009 Zaragoza, Spain; CIBER-BBN, ISCIII, Zaragoza, Spain.
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16
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Min S, Cho SW. Engineered human cardiac tissues for modeling heart diseases. BMB Rep 2023; 56:32-42. [PMID: 36443005 PMCID: PMC9887099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2022] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Heart disease is one of the major life-threatening diseases with high mortality and incidence worldwide. Several model systems, such as primary cells and animals, have been used to understand heart diseases and establish appropriate treatments. However, they have limitations in accuracy and reproducibility in recapitulating disease pathophysiology and evaluating drug responses. In recent years, three-dimensional (3D) cardiac tissue models produced using tissue engineering technology and human cells have outperformed conventional models. In particular, the integration of cell reprogramming techniques with bioengineering platforms (e.g., microfluidics, scaffolds, bioprinting, and biophysical stimuli) has facilitated the development of heart-ona- chip, cardiac spheroid/organoid, and engineered heart tissue (EHT) to recapitulate the structural and functional features of the native human heart. These cardiac models have improved heart disease modeling and toxicological evaluation. In this review, we summarize the cell types for the fabrication of cardiac tissue models, introduce diverse 3D human cardiac tissue models, and discuss the strategies to enhance their complexity and maturity. Finally, recent studies in the modeling of various heart diseases are reviewed. [BMB Reports 2023; 56(1): 32-42].
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Affiliation(s)
- Sungjin Min
- Department of Biotechnology, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Korea
| | - Seung-Woo Cho
- Department of Biotechnology, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Korea,Center for Nanomedicine, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Seoul 03722, Korea,Corresponding author. Tel: +82-2-2123-5662; Fax: +82-2-362-7265; E-mail:
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17
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Bissoli I, D’Adamo S, Pignatti C, Agnetti G, Flamigni F, Cetrullo S. Induced pluripotent stem cell-based models: Are we ready for that heart in a dish? Front Cell Dev Biol 2023; 11:1129263. [PMID: 36743420 PMCID: PMC9892938 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2023.1129263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2022] [Accepted: 01/10/2023] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Irene Bissoli
- Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Stefania D’Adamo
- Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy,*Correspondence: Stefania D’Adamo, ; Silvia Cetrullo,
| | - Carla Pignatti
- Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Giulio Agnetti
- Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy,Istituto Nazionale per le Ricerche Cardiovascolari, Bologna, Italy,Center for Research on Cardiac Intermediate Filaments, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Flavio Flamigni
- Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy,Istituto Nazionale per le Ricerche Cardiovascolari, Bologna, Italy
| | - Silvia Cetrullo
- Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy,Istituto Nazionale per le Ricerche Cardiovascolari, Bologna, Italy,*Correspondence: Stefania D’Adamo, ; Silvia Cetrullo,
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18
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Min S, Cho SW. Engineered human cardiac tissues for modeling heart diseases. BMB Rep 2023; 56:32-42. [PMID: 36443005 PMCID: PMC9887099 DOI: 10.5483/bmbrep.2022-0185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2022] [Revised: 11/28/2022] [Accepted: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Heart disease is one of the major life-threatening diseases with high mortality and incidence worldwide. Several model systems, such as primary cells and animals, have been used to understand heart diseases and establish appropriate treatments. However, they have limitations in accuracy and reproducibility in recapitulating disease pathophysiology and evaluating drug responses. In recent years, three-dimensional (3D) cardiac tissue models produced using tissue engineering technology and human cells have outperformed conventional models. In particular, the integration of cell reprogramming techniques with bioengineering platforms (e.g., microfluidics, scaffolds, bioprinting, and biophysical stimuli) has facilitated the development of heart-ona- chip, cardiac spheroid/organoid, and engineered heart tissue (EHT) to recapitulate the structural and functional features of the native human heart. These cardiac models have improved heart disease modeling and toxicological evaluation. In this review, we summarize the cell types for the fabrication of cardiac tissue models, introduce diverse 3D human cardiac tissue models, and discuss the strategies to enhance their complexity and maturity. Finally, recent studies in the modeling of various heart diseases are reviewed. [BMB Reports 2023; 56(1): 32-42].
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Affiliation(s)
- Sungjin Min
- Department of Biotechnology, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Korea
| | - Seung-Woo Cho
- Department of Biotechnology, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Korea
- Center for Nanomedicine, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Seoul 03722, Korea
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19
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Hong Y, Zhao Y, Li H, Yang Y, Chen M, Wang X, Luo M, Wang K. Engineering the maturation of stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2023; 11:1155052. [PMID: 37034258 PMCID: PMC10073467 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2023.1155052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Accepted: 03/06/2023] [Indexed: 04/11/2023] Open
Abstract
The maturation of human stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hSC-CMs) has been a major challenge to further expand the scope of their application. Over the past years, several strategies have been proven to facilitate the structural and functional maturation of hSC-CMs, which include but are not limited to engineering the geometry or stiffness of substrates, providing favorable extracellular matrices, applying mechanical stretch, fluidic or electrical stimulation, co-culturing with niche cells, regulating biochemical cues such as hormones and transcription factors, engineering and redirecting metabolic patterns, developing 3D cardiac constructs such as cardiac organoid or engineered heart tissue, or culturing under in vivo implantation. In this review, we summarize these maturation strategies, especially the recent advancements, and discussed their advantages as well as the pressing problems that need to be addressed in future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Hong
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Cardiovascular Science, Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University, Ministry of Education, Beijing, China
| | - Yun Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Cardiovascular Science, Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University, Ministry of Education, Beijing, China
| | - Hao Li
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Cardiovascular Science, Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University, Ministry of Education, Beijing, China
| | - Yunshu Yang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Cardiovascular Science, Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University, Ministry of Education, Beijing, China
| | - Meining Chen
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Cardiovascular Science, Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University, Ministry of Education, Beijing, China
| | - Xi Wang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Cardiovascular Science, Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University, Ministry of Education, Beijing, China
- *Correspondence: Kai Wang, ; Mingyao Luo, ; Xi Wang,
| | - Mingyao Luo
- Center of Vascular Surgery, Fuwai Hospital, National Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
- Department of Vascular Surgery, Fuwai Yunnan Cardiovascular Hospital, Affiliated Cardiovascular Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan, China
- State Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Disease, Fuwai Hospital, Beijing, China
- *Correspondence: Kai Wang, ; Mingyao Luo, ; Xi Wang,
| | - Kai Wang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Cardiovascular Science, Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University, Ministry of Education, Beijing, China
- State Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Disease, Fuwai Hospital, Beijing, China
- *Correspondence: Kai Wang, ; Mingyao Luo, ; Xi Wang,
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20
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Mostert D, Groenen B, Klouda L, Passier R, Goumans MJ, Kurniawan NA, Bouten CVC. Human pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes align under cyclic strain when guided by cardiac fibroblasts. APL Bioeng 2022; 6:046108. [PMID: 36567768 PMCID: PMC9771596 DOI: 10.1063/5.0108914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2022] [Accepted: 11/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The myocardium is a mechanically active tissue typified by anisotropy of the resident cells [cardiomyocytes (CMs) and cardiac fibroblasts (cFBs)] and the extracellular matrix (ECM). Upon ischemic injury, the anisotropic tissue is replaced by disorganized scar tissue, resulting in loss of coordinated contraction. Efforts to re-establish tissue anisotropy in the injured myocardium are hampered by a lack of understanding of how CM and/or cFB structural organization is affected by the two major physical cues inherent in the myocardium: ECM organization and cyclic mechanical strain. Herein, we investigate the singular and combined effect of ECM (dis)organization and cyclic strain in a two-dimensional human in vitro co-culture model of the myocardial microenvironment. We show that (an)isotropic ECM protein patterning can guide the orientation of CMs and cFBs, both in mono- and co-culture. Subsequent application of uniaxial cyclic strain-mimicking the local anisotropic deformation of beating myocardium-causes no effect when applied parallel to the anisotropic ECM. However, when cultured on isotropic substrates, cFBs, but not CMs, orient away from the direction of cyclic uniaxial strain (strain avoidance). In contrast, CMs show strain avoidance via active remodeling of their sarcomeres only when co-cultured with at least 30% cFBs. Paracrine signaling or N-cadherin-mediated communication between CMs and cFBs was no contributing factor. Our findings suggest that the mechanoresponsive cFBs provide structural guidance for CM orientation and elongation. Our study, therefore, highlights a synergistic mechanobiological interplay between CMs and cFBs in shaping tissue organization, which is of relevance for regenerating functionally organized myocardium.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Bart Groenen
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, PO Box 513, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Leda Klouda
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, PO Box 513, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | | | - Marie-Jose Goumans
- Department of Cell and Chemical Biology and Center for Biomedical Genetics, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, The Netherlands
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21
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Barnes AM, Holmstoen TB, Bonham AJ, Rowland TJ. Differentiating Human Pluripotent Stem Cells to Cardiomyocytes Using Purified Extracellular Matrix Proteins. BIOENGINEERING (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 9:bioengineering9120720. [PMID: 36550926 PMCID: PMC9774171 DOI: 10.3390/bioengineering9120720] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2022] [Revised: 11/11/2022] [Accepted: 11/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) can be differentiated into cardiomyocytes (hESC-CMs and iPSC-CMs, respectively), which hold great promise for cardiac regenerative medicine and disease modeling efforts. However, the most widely employed differentiation protocols require undefined substrates that are derived from xenogeneic (animal) products, contaminating resultant hESC- and iPSC-CM cultures with xenogeneic proteins and limiting their clinical applicability. Additionally, typical hESC- and iPSC-CM protocols produce CMs that are significantly contaminated by non-CMs and that are immature, requiring lengthy maturation procedures. In this review, we will summarize recent studies that have investigated the ability of purified extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins to support hESC- and iPSC-CM differentiation, with a focus on commercially available ECM proteins and coatings to make such protocols widely available to researchers. The most promising of the substrates reviewed here include laminin-521 with laminin-221 together or Synthemax (a synthetic vitronectin-based peptide coating), which both resulted in highly pure CM cultures. Future efforts are needed to determine whether combinations of specific purified ECM proteins or derived peptides could further improve CM maturation and culture times, and significantly improve hESC- and iPSC-CM differentiation protocols.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashlynn M. Barnes
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
| | - Tessa B. Holmstoen
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
| | - Andrew J. Bonham
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Metropolitan State University of Denver, Denver, CO 80217, USA
| | - Teisha J. Rowland
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
- Correspondence:
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22
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Gao H, Yang F, Sattari K, Du X, Fu T, Fu S, Liu X, Lin J, Sun Y, Yao J. Bioinspired two-in-one nanotransistor sensor for the simultaneous measurements of electrical and mechanical cellular responses. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eabn2485. [PMID: 36001656 PMCID: PMC9401615 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abn2485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2021] [Accepted: 07/11/2022] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
The excitation-contraction dynamics in cardiac tissue are the most important physiological parameters for assessing developmental state. We demonstrate integrated nanoelectronic sensors capable of simultaneously probing electrical and mechanical cellular responses. The sensor is configured from a three-dimensional nanotransistor with its conduction channel protruding out of the plane. The structure promotes not only a tight seal with the cell for detecting action potential via field effect but also a close mechanical coupling for detecting cellular force via piezoresistive effect. Arrays of nanotransistors are integrated to realize label-free, submillisecond, and scalable interrogation of correlated cell dynamics, showing advantages in tracking and differentiating cell states in drug studies. The sensor can further decode vector information in cellular motion beyond typical scalar information acquired at the tissue level, hence offering an improved tool for cell mechanics studies. The sensor enables not only improved bioelectronic detections but also reduced invasiveness through the two-in-one converging integration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongyan Gao
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
| | - Feiyu Yang
- Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
| | - Kianoosh Sattari
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA
| | - Xian Du
- Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
- Institute for Applied Life Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
| | - Tianda Fu
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
| | - Shuai Fu
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
| | - Xiaomeng Liu
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
| | - Jian Lin
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA
| | - Yubing Sun
- Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
- Institute for Applied Life Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
| | - Jun Yao
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
- Institute for Applied Life Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
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23
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Cyclic Stretching Induces Maturation of Human-Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Cardiomyocytes through Nuclear-Mechanotransduction. Tissue Eng Regen Med 2022; 19:781-792. [PMID: 35258794 PMCID: PMC9294081 DOI: 10.1007/s13770-021-00427-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2021] [Revised: 11/22/2021] [Accepted: 12/21/2021] [Indexed: 10/18/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND During cardiogenesis, cardiac cells receive various stimuli, such as biomechanical and chemical cues, from the surrounding microenvironment, and these signals induce the maturation of heart cells. Mechanical force, especially tensile force in the heart, is one of the key stimuli that induce cardiomyocyte (CM) maturation through mechanotransduction, a process through which physical cues are transformed into biological responses. However, the effects and mechanisms of tensile force on cell maturation are poorly studied. METHODS In this study, we developed a cyclic stretch system that mimics the mechanical environment of the heart by loading tensile force to human-induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-derived CMs. hiPSC-CMs cultured with the cyclic stretch system analyzed morphological change, immunofluorescent staining, expression of maturation markers in mRNA, and beating properties compared to static cultures. RESULTS hiPSC-CMs cultured with the cyclic stretch system showed increased cell alignment, sarcomere length and expression of maturation markers in mRNA, such as TNNI3, MYL2 and TTN, compared to static cultures. Especially, the expression of genes related to nuclear mechanotransduction, such as Yap1, Lamin A/C, plectin, and desmin, was increased in the cyclically stretched hiPSC-CMs. Furthermore, the volume of the nucleus was increased by as much as 120% in the cyclic stretch group. CONCLUSION These results revealed that nuclear mechanotransduction induced by tensile force is involved in CM maturation. Together, these findings provide novel evidence suggesting that nuclear mechanotransduction induced by tensile force is involved in the regulation of cardiac maturation.
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24
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Kahn-Krell A, Pretorius D, Guragain B, Lou X, Wei Y, Zhang J, Qiao A, Nakada Y, Kamp TJ, Ye L, Zhang J. A three-dimensional culture system for generating cardiac spheroids composed of cardiomyocytes, endothelial cells, smooth-muscle cells, and cardiac fibroblasts derived from human induced-pluripotent stem cells. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2022; 10:908848. [PMID: 35957645 PMCID: PMC9361017 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2022.908848] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2022] [Accepted: 07/04/2022] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Cardiomyocytes (CMs), endothelial cells (ECs), smooth-muscle cells (SMCs), and cardiac fibroblasts (CFs) differentiated from human induced-pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) are the fundamental components of cell-based regenerative myocardial therapy and can be used as in-vitro models for mechanistic studies and drug testing. However, newly differentiated hiPSC-CMs tend to more closely resemble fetal CMs than the mature CMs of adult hearts, and current techniques for improving CM maturation can be both complex and labor-intensive. Thus, the production of CMs for commercial and industrial applications will require more elementary methods for promoting CM maturity. CMs tend to develop a more mature phenotype when cultured as spheroids in a three-dimensional (3D) environment, rather than as two-dimensional monolayers, and the activity of ECs, SMCs, and CFs promote both CM maturation and electrical activity. Here, we introduce a simple and reproducible 3D-culture-based process for generating spheroids containing all four cardiac-cell types (i.e., cardiac spheroids) that is compatible with a wide range of applications and research equipment. Subsequent experiments demonstrated that the inclusion of vascular cells and CFs was associated with an increase in spheroid size, a decline in apoptosis, an improvement in sarcomere maturation and a change in CM bioenergetics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asher Kahn-Krell
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Medicine and School of Engineering, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
| | - Danielle Pretorius
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Medicine and School of Engineering, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
| | - Bijay Guragain
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Medicine and School of Engineering, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
| | - Xi Lou
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Medicine and School of Engineering, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
| | - Yuhua Wei
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Medicine and School of Engineering, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
| | - Jianhua Zhang
- Department of Medicine, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States,Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Aijun Qiao
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Medicine and School of Engineering, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
| | - Yuji Nakada
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Medicine and School of Engineering, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
| | - Timothy J. Kamp
- Department of Medicine, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States,Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States,Department of Cell and Regenerative Biology, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Lei Ye
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Medicine and School of Engineering, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
| | - Jianyi Zhang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Medicine and School of Engineering, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States,Department of Medicine/Cardiovascular Diseases, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States,*Correspondence: Jianyi Zhang,
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25
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Cardio PyMEA: A user-friendly, open-source Python application for cardiomyocyte microelectrode array analysis. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0266647. [PMID: 35617323 PMCID: PMC9135279 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0266647] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2022] [Accepted: 05/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Open source analytical software for the analysis of electrophysiological cardiomyocyte data offers a variety of new functionalities to complement closed-source, proprietary tools. Here, we present the Cardio PyMEA application, a free, modifiable, and open source program for the analysis of microelectrode array (MEA) data obtained from cardiomyocyte cultures. Major software capabilities include: beat detection; pacemaker origin estimation; beat amplitude and interval; local activation time, upstroke velocity, and conduction velocity; analysis of cardiomyocyte property-distance relationships; and robust power law analysis of pacemaker spatiotemporal instability. Cardio PyMEA was written entirely in Python 3 to provide an accessible, integrated workflow that possesses a user-friendly graphical user interface (GUI) written in PyQt5 to allow for performant, cross-platform utilization. This application makes use of object-oriented programming (OOP) principles to facilitate the relatively straightforward incorporation of custom functionalities, e.g. power law analysis, that suit the needs of the user. Cardio PyMEA is available as an open source application under the terms of the GNU General Public License (GPL). The source code for Cardio PyMEA can be downloaded from Github at the following repository: https://github.com/csdunhamUC/cardio_pymea.
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26
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Afjeh-Dana E, Naserzadeh P, Moradi E, Hosseini N, Seifalian AM, Ashtari B. Stem Cell Differentiation into Cardiomyocytes: Current Methods and Emerging Approaches. Stem Cell Rev Rep 2022; 18:2566-2592. [PMID: 35508757 DOI: 10.1007/s12015-021-10280-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are globally known to be important causes of mortality and disabilities. Common treatment strategies for CVDs, such as pharmacological therapeutics impose serious challenges due to the failure of treatments for myocardial necrosis. By contrast, stem cells (SCs) based therapies are seen to be promising approaches to CVDs treatment. In such approaches, cardiomyocytes are differentiated from SCs. To fulfill SCs complete potential, the method should be appointed to generate cardiomyocytes with more mature structure and well-functioning operations. For heart repairing applications, a greatly scalable and medical-grade cardiomyocyte generation must be used. Nonetheless, there are some challenges such as immune rejection, arrhythmogenesis, tumorigenesis, and graft cell death potential. Herein, we discuss the types of potential SCs, and commonly used methods including embryoid bodies related techniques, co-culture, mechanical stimulation, and electrical stimulation and their applications, advantages and limitations in this field. An estimated 17.9 million people died from CVDs in 2019, representing 32 % of all global deaths. Of these deaths, 85 % were due to heart attack and stroke.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elham Afjeh-Dana
- Radiation Biology Research Centre, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Parvaneh Naserzadeh
- Radiation Biology Research Centre, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Elham Moradi
- Radiation Biology Research Centre, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.,Endocrine Research Center, Institute of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Nasrin Hosseini
- Neuroscience Research Centre, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Alexander Marcus Seifalian
- Nanotechnology & Regenerative Medicine Commercialisation Centre (NanoRegMed Ltd), London BioScience Innovation Centre, London, UK
| | - Behnaz Ashtari
- Radiation Biology Research Centre, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. .,Endocrine Research Center, Institute of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. .,Cellular and Molecular Research Centre, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
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27
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Varzideh F, Mone P, Santulli G. Bioengineering Strategies to Create 3D Cardiac Constructs from Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells. Bioengineering (Basel) 2022; 9:168. [PMID: 35447728 PMCID: PMC9028595 DOI: 10.3390/bioengineering9040168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2022] [Revised: 04/06/2022] [Accepted: 04/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) can be used to generate various cell types in the human body. Hence, hiPSC-derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs) represent a significant cell source for disease modeling, drug testing, and regenerative medicine. The immaturity of hiPSC-CMs in two-dimensional (2D) culture limit their applications. Cardiac tissue engineering provides a new promise for both basic and clinical research. Advanced bioengineered cardiac in vitro models can create contractile structures that serve as exquisite in vitro heart microtissues for drug testing and disease modeling, thereby promoting the identification of better treatments for cardiovascular disorders. In this review, we will introduce recent advances of bioengineering technologies to produce in vitro cardiac tissues derived from hiPSCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fahimeh Varzideh
- Department of Medicine, Wilf Family Cardiovascular Research Institute, Einstein-Mount Sinai Diabetes Research Center (ES-DRC), Einstein Institute for Aging Research, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, NY 10461, USA; (F.V.); (P.M.)
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Fleischer Institute for Diabetes and Metabolism (FIDAM), Einstein Institute for Neuroimmunology and Inflammation (INI), Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, NY 10461, USA
| | - Pasquale Mone
- Department of Medicine, Wilf Family Cardiovascular Research Institute, Einstein-Mount Sinai Diabetes Research Center (ES-DRC), Einstein Institute for Aging Research, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, NY 10461, USA; (F.V.); (P.M.)
| | - Gaetano Santulli
- Department of Medicine, Wilf Family Cardiovascular Research Institute, Einstein-Mount Sinai Diabetes Research Center (ES-DRC), Einstein Institute for Aging Research, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, NY 10461, USA; (F.V.); (P.M.)
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Fleischer Institute for Diabetes and Metabolism (FIDAM), Einstein Institute for Neuroimmunology and Inflammation (INI), Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, NY 10461, USA
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28
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Tani H, Tohyama S. Human Engineered Heart Tissue Models for Disease Modeling and Drug Discovery. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:855763. [PMID: 35433691 PMCID: PMC9008275 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.855763] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2022] [Accepted: 03/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The emergence of human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) and efficient differentiation of hiPSC-derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs) induced from diseased donors have the potential to recapitulate the molecular and functional features of the human heart. Although the immaturity of hiPSC-CMs, including the structure, gene expression, conduct, ion channel density, and Ca2+ kinetics, is a major challenge, various attempts to promote maturation have been effective. Three-dimensional cardiac models using hiPSC-CMs have achieved these functional and morphological maturations, and disease models using patient-specific hiPSC-CMs have furthered our understanding of the underlying mechanisms and effective therapies for diseases. Aside from the mechanisms of diseases and drug responses, hiPSC-CMs also have the potential to evaluate the safety and efficacy of drugs in a human context before a candidate drug enters the market and many phases of clinical trials. In fact, novel drug testing paradigms have suggested that these cells can be used to better predict the proarrhythmic risk of candidate drugs. In this review, we overview the current strategies of human engineered heart tissue models with a focus on major cardiac diseases and discuss perspectives and future directions for the real application of hiPSC-CMs and human engineered heart tissue for disease modeling, drug development, clinical trials, and cardiotoxicity tests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hidenori Tani
- Department of Cardiology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
- Department of Emergency and Critical Care Medicine, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Shugo Tohyama
- Department of Cardiology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
- *Correspondence: Shugo Tohyama,
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29
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Kowalski WJ, Garcia-Pak IH, Li W, Uosaki H, Tampakakis E, Zou J, Lin Y, Patterson K, Kwon C, Mukouyama YS. Sympathetic Neurons Regulate Cardiomyocyte Maturation in Culture. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:850645. [PMID: 35359438 PMCID: PMC8961983 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.850645] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2022] [Accepted: 02/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Embryos devoid of autonomic innervation suffer sudden cardiac death. However, whether autonomic neurons have a role in heart development is poorly understood. To investigate if sympathetic neurons impact cardiomyocyte maturation, we co-cultured phenotypically immature cardiomyocytes derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells with mouse sympathetic ganglion neurons. We found that 1) multiple cardiac structure and ion channel genes related to cardiomyocyte maturation were up-regulated when co-cultured with sympathetic neurons; 2) sarcomere organization and connexin-43 gap junctions increased; 3) calcium imaging showed greater transient amplitudes. However, sarcomere spacing, relaxation time, and level of sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium did not show matured phenotypes. We further found that addition of endothelial and epicardial support cells did not enhance maturation to a greater extent beyond sympathetic neurons, while administration of isoproterenol alone was insufficient to induce changes in gene expression. These results demonstrate that sympathetic neurons have a significant and complex role in regulating cardiomyocyte development.
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Affiliation(s)
- William J. Kowalski
- Laboratory of Stem Cell and Neuro-Vascular Biology, Cell and Developmental Biology Center, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Iris H. Garcia-Pak
- Laboratory of Stem Cell and Neuro-Vascular Biology, Cell and Developmental Biology Center, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Wenling Li
- Laboratory of Stem Cell and Neuro-Vascular Biology, Cell and Developmental Biology Center, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Hideki Uosaki
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States,Division of Regenerative Medicine, Center for Molecular Medicine, Jichi Medical University, Shimotsuke, Japan
| | - Emmanouil Tampakakis
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Jizhong Zou
- IPSC Core Facility, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Yongshun Lin
- IPSC Core Facility, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Kira Patterson
- IPSC Core Facility, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Chulan Kwon
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Yoh-Suke Mukouyama
- Laboratory of Stem Cell and Neuro-Vascular Biology, Cell and Developmental Biology Center, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States,*Correspondence: Yoh-Suke Mukouyama,
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30
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Chen J, Zhou A, Nie Y, Chen K, Zhang Y, Xu Y, Kong D, Shao K, Ning X. Photoactive 3D-Printed Hypertensile Metamaterials for Improving Dynamic Modeling of Stem Cells. NANO LETTERS 2022; 22:135-144. [PMID: 34967636 DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.1c03472] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Current three-dimensional (3D) cell culture systems mainly rely on static cell culture and lack the ability to thoroughly manage cell intrinsic behaviors and biological characteristics, leading to unsatisfied cell activity. Herein, we have developed photoactive 3D-printed hypertensile metamaterials based dynamic cell culture system (MetaFold) for guiding cell fate. MetaFold exhibited high elasticity and photothermal conversion efficiency due to its metapattern architecture and micro/nanoscale polydopamine coating, allowing for responding to mechanical and light stimulation to construct dynamic culture conditions. In addition, MetaFold possessed excellent cell adhesion capability and could promote cell viability and function under dynamic stimulation, thereby maximizing cell activity. Importantly, MetaFold could improve the differentiation efficacy of stem cells into cardiomyocytes and even their maturation, offering high-quality precious candidates for cell therapy. Therefore, we present a dual stimuli-responsive dynamic culture system, which provides a physiologically realistic environment for cell culture and biological study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianmei Chen
- National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures, Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, Chemistry and Biomedicine Innovation Center, College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Artificial Functional Materials, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, China
| | - Anwei Zhou
- National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures, Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, School of Physics, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Artificial Functional Materials, Nanjing University, 210093, Nanjing, China
| | - Yuanyuan Nie
- National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures, Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, Chemistry and Biomedicine Innovation Center, College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Artificial Functional Materials, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, China
| | - Kerong Chen
- National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures, Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, Chemistry and Biomedicine Innovation Center, College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Artificial Functional Materials, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, China
| | - Yu Zhang
- National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures, Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, Chemistry and Biomedicine Innovation Center, College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Artificial Functional Materials, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, China
| | - Yurui Xu
- National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures, Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, Chemistry and Biomedicine Innovation Center, College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Artificial Functional Materials, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, China
| | - Desheng Kong
- College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Artificial Functional Materials, State Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Science, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, China
| | - Kaifeng Shao
- SARI Center for Stem Cell and Nanomedicine, Shanghai Advanced Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Xinghai Ning
- National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures, Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, Chemistry and Biomedicine Innovation Center, College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Artificial Functional Materials, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, China
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31
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Thomas D, Cunningham NJ, Shenoy S, Wu JC. Human-induced pluripotent stem cells in cardiovascular research: current approaches in cardiac differentiation, maturation strategies, and scalable production. Cardiovasc Res 2022; 118:20-36. [PMID: 33757124 PMCID: PMC8932155 DOI: 10.1093/cvr/cvab115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2020] [Accepted: 03/22/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Manifestations of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) in a patient or a population differ based on inherent biological makeup, lifestyle, and exposure to environmental risk factors. These variables mean that therapeutic interventions may not provide the same benefit to every patient. In the context of CVDs, human-induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (iPSC-CMs) offer an opportunity to model CVDs in a patient-specific manner. From a pharmacological perspective, iPSC-CM models can serve as go/no-go tests to evaluate drug safety. To develop personalized therapies for early diagnosis and treatment, human-relevant disease models are essential. Hence, to implement and leverage the utility of iPSC-CMs for large-scale treatment or drug discovery, it is critical to (i) carefully evaluate the relevant limitations of iPSC-CM differentiations, (ii) establish quality standards for defining the state of cell maturity, and (iii) employ techniques that allow scalability and throughput with minimal batch-to-batch variability. In this review, we briefly describe progress made with iPSC-CMs in disease modelling and pharmacological testing, as well as current iPSC-CM maturation techniques. Finally, we discuss current platforms for large-scale manufacturing of iPSC-CMs that will enable high-throughput drug screening applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dilip Thomas
- Stanford Cardiovascular Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305-5454, USA
| | - Nathan J Cunningham
- Stanford Cardiovascular Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305-5454, USA
| | - Sushma Shenoy
- Stanford Cardiovascular Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305-5454, USA
| | - Joseph C Wu
- Stanford Cardiovascular Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305-5454, USA
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305-5454, USA
- Department of Radiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305-5454, USA
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Aligned human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiac tissue improves contractile properties through promoting unidirectional and synchronous cardiomyocyte contraction. Biomaterials 2021; 281:121351. [PMID: 34979417 DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2021.121351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2021] [Revised: 12/17/2021] [Accepted: 12/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Alignment, as seen in the native myocardium, is crucial for the fabrication of functional cardiac tissue. However, it remains unclear whether the control of cardiomyocyte alignment influences cardiac function and the underlying mechanisms. We fabricated aligned human cardiac tissue using a micro-processed fibrin gel with inverted V-shaped ridges (MFG) and elucidated the effect of alignment control on contractile properties. When human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs) were seeded on MFG, hiPSC-CMs were aligned more uniformly than the control, and we succeeded in fabricating the aligned cardiac tissue. Assessing the contractile properties with the direct contractile measurement system, the contractile force, maximum contractile velocity, and relaxation velocity were significantly increased in aligned cardiac tissue compared with non-aligned cardiac tissue. However, gene expression profiles were not different between the two groups, suggesting that functional improvement of cardiac tissue through alignment control might not be dependent on cardiomyocyte maturation. Motion capture analysis revealed that the cardiomyocytes in the aligned cardiac tissues showed more unidirectional and synchronous contraction than the non-aligned cardiac tissues, indicating that cardiac tissue maturation involves electrical integration of cardiomyocytes. Herein, cardiomyocyte alignment control might improve the contractile properties of cardiac tissue through promoting unidirectional and synchronous cardiomyocyte contraction.
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Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell as a Disease Modeling and Drug Development Platform-A Cardiac Perspective. Cells 2021; 10:cells10123483. [PMID: 34943991 PMCID: PMC8699880 DOI: 10.3390/cells10123483] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2021] [Revised: 12/03/2021] [Accepted: 12/06/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
A comprehensive understanding of the pathophysiology and cellular responses to drugs in human heart disease is limited by species differences between humans and experimental animals. In addition, isolation of human cardiomyocytes (CMs) is complicated because cells obtained by biopsy do not proliferate to provide sufficient numbers of cells for preclinical studies in vitro. Interestingly, the discovery of human-induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC) has opened up the possibility of generating and studying heart disease in a culture dish. The combination of reprogramming and genome editing technologies to generate a broad spectrum of human heart diseases in vitro offers a great opportunity to elucidate gene function and mechanisms. However, to exploit the potential applications of hiPSC-derived-CMs for drug testing and studying adult-onset cardiac disease, a full functional characterization of maturation and metabolic traits is required. In this review, we focus on methods to reprogram somatic cells into hiPSC and the solutions for overcome immaturity of the hiPSC-derived-CMs to mimic the structure and physiological properties of the adult human CMs to accurately model disease and test drug safety. Finally, we discuss how to improve the culture, differentiation, and purification of CMs to obtain sufficient numbers of desired types of hiPSC-derived-CMs for disease modeling and drug development platform.
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Fang Y, Sun W, Zhang T, Xiong Z. Recent advances on bioengineering approaches for fabrication of functional engineered cardiac pumps: A review. Biomaterials 2021; 280:121298. [PMID: 34864451 DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2021.121298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2021] [Revised: 11/24/2021] [Accepted: 11/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
The field of cardiac tissue engineering has advanced over the past decades; however, most research progress has been limited to engineered cardiac tissues (ECTs) at the microscale with minimal geometrical complexities such as 3D strips and patches. Although microscale ECTs are advantageous for drug screening applications because of their high-throughput and standardization characteristics, they have limited translational applications in heart repair and the in vitro modeling of cardiac function and diseases. Recently, researchers have made various attempts to construct engineered cardiac pumps (ECPs) such as chambered ventricles, recapitulating the geometrical complexity of the native heart. The transition from microscale ECTs to ECPs at a translatable scale would greatly accelerate their translational applications; however, researchers are confronted with several major hurdles, including geometrical reconstruction, vascularization, and functional maturation. Therefore, the objective of this paper is to review the recent advances on bioengineering approaches for fabrication of functional engineered cardiac pumps. We first review the bioengineering approaches to fabricate ECPs, and then emphasize the unmatched potential of 3D bioprinting techniques. We highlight key advances in bioprinting strategies with high cell density as researchers have begun to realize the critical role that the cell density of non-proliferative cardiomyocytes plays in the cell-cell interaction and functional contracting performance. We summarize the current approaches to engineering vasculatures both at micro- and meso-scales, crucial for the survival of thick cardiac tissues and ECPs. We showcase a variety of strategies developed to enable the functional maturation of cardiac tissues, mimicking the in vivo environment during cardiac development. By highlighting state-of-the-art research, this review offers personal perspectives on future opportunities and trends that may bring us closer to the promise of functional ECPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongcong Fang
- Biomanufacturing Center, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, PR China; Biomanufacturing and Rapid Forming Technology Key Laboratory of Beijing, Beijing, 100084, PR China; "Biomanufacturing and Engineering Living Systems" Innovation International Talents Base (111 Base), Beijing, 100084, PR China
| | - Wei Sun
- Biomanufacturing Center, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, PR China; Biomanufacturing and Rapid Forming Technology Key Laboratory of Beijing, Beijing, 100084, PR China; "Biomanufacturing and Engineering Living Systems" Innovation International Talents Base (111 Base), Beijing, 100084, PR China; Department of Mechanical Engineering, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Ting Zhang
- Biomanufacturing Center, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, PR China; Biomanufacturing and Rapid Forming Technology Key Laboratory of Beijing, Beijing, 100084, PR China; "Biomanufacturing and Engineering Living Systems" Innovation International Talents Base (111 Base), Beijing, 100084, PR China.
| | - Zhuo Xiong
- Biomanufacturing Center, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, PR China; Biomanufacturing and Rapid Forming Technology Key Laboratory of Beijing, Beijing, 100084, PR China; "Biomanufacturing and Engineering Living Systems" Innovation International Talents Base (111 Base), Beijing, 100084, PR China.
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He Y, Yu Y, Yang Y, Gu Y, Mao T, Shen Y, Liu Q, Liu R, Ding J. Design and aligner-assisted fast fabrication of a microfluidic platform for quasi-3D cell studies on an elastic polymer. Bioact Mater 2021; 15:288-304. [PMID: 35356817 PMCID: PMC8935092 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioactmat.2021.12.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2021] [Revised: 11/24/2021] [Accepted: 12/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
While most studies of mechanical stimulation of cells are focused on two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) systems, it is rare to study the effects of cyclic stretching on cells under a quasi-3D microenvironment as a linkage between 2D and 3D. Herein, we report a new method to prepare an elastic membrane with topographic microstructures and integrate the membrane into a microfluidic chip. The fabrication difficulty lay not only in the preparation of microstructures but also in the alignment and bonding of the patterned membrane to other layers. To resolve the problem, we designed and assembled a fast aligner that is cost-effective and convenient to operate. To enable quasi-3D microenvironment of cells, we fabricated polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) microwell arrays (formed by micropillars of a few microns in diameter) with the microwell diameters close to the cell sizes. An appropriate plasma treatment was found to afford a coating-free approach to enable cell adhesion on PDMS. We examined three types of cells in 2D, quasi-3D, and 3D microenvironments; the cell adhesion results showed that quasi-3D cells behaved between 2D and 3D cells. We also constructed transgenic human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs); under cyclic stretching, the visualizable live hMSCs in microwells were found to orientate differently from in a 3D Matrigel matrix and migrate differently from on a 2D flat plate. This study not only provides valuable tools for microfabrication of a microfluidic device for cell studies, but also inspires further studies of the topological effects of biomaterials on cells. A microfluidic platform for quasi-3D cell studies was presented as a linkage between 2D and 3D cell-material research systems. The fabrication difficulty was overcome by designing an effective aligner that can be easily assembled. Cell behaviors can be enhanced with a proper quasi-3D biomaterial microenvironment. A new transgenic cell line and systematic 3D approaches were developed to visualize and digitalize the quasi-3D cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yingning He
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering of Polymers, Department of Macromolecular Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200438, China
| | - Yue Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering of Polymers, Department of Macromolecular Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200438, China
| | - Yuqian Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering of Polymers, Department of Macromolecular Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200438, China
| | - Yexin Gu
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering of Polymers, Department of Macromolecular Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200438, China
| | - Tianjiao Mao
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering of Polymers, Department of Macromolecular Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200438, China
| | - Yang Shen
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering of Polymers, Department of Macromolecular Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200438, China
| | - Qiong Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering of Polymers, Department of Macromolecular Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200438, China
- Translational Research Institute of Brain and Brain-Like Intelligence, Shanghai Fourth People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200434, China
| | - Ruili Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering of Polymers, Department of Macromolecular Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200438, China
| | - Jiandong Ding
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering of Polymers, Department of Macromolecular Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200438, China
- Corresponding author.
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Possible Treatment of Myocardial Infarct Based on Tissue Engineering Using a Cellularized Solid Collagen Scaffold Functionalized with Arg-Glyc-Asp (RGD) Peptide. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms222212563. [PMID: 34830447 PMCID: PMC8620820 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222212563] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2021] [Revised: 10/23/2021] [Accepted: 11/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Currently, the clinical impact of cell therapy after a myocardial infarction (MI) is limited by low cell engraftment due to low cell retention, cell death in inflammatory and poor angiogenic infarcted areas, secondary migration. Cells interact with their microenvironment through integrin mechanoreceptors that control their survival/apoptosis/differentiation/migration and proliferation. The association of cells with a three-dimensional material may be a way to improve interactions with their integrins, and thus outcomes, especially if preparations are epicardially applied. In this review, we will focus on the rationale for using collagen as a polymer backbone for tissue engineering of a contractile tissue. Contractilities are reported for natural but not synthetic polymers and for naturals only for: collagen/gelatin/decellularized-tissue/fibrin/Matrigel™ and for different material states: hydrogels/gels/solids. To achieve a thick/long-term contractile tissue and for cell transfer, solid porous compliant scaffolds are superior to hydrogels or gels. Classical methods to produce solid scaffolds: electrospinning/freeze-drying/3D-printing/solvent-casting and methods to reinforce and/or maintain scaffold properties by reticulations are reported. We also highlight the possibility of improving integrin interaction between cells and their associated collagen by its functionalizing with the RGD-peptide. Using a contractile patch that can be applied epicardially may be a way of improving ventricular remodeling and limiting secondary cell migration.
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Khanna A, Zamani M, Huang NF. Extracellular Matrix-Based Biomaterials for Cardiovascular Tissue Engineering. J Cardiovasc Dev Dis 2021; 8:137. [PMID: 34821690 PMCID: PMC8622600 DOI: 10.3390/jcdd8110137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2021] [Revised: 10/10/2021] [Accepted: 10/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Regenerative medicine and tissue engineering strategies have made remarkable progress in remodeling, replacing, and regenerating damaged cardiovascular tissues. The design of three-dimensional (3D) scaffolds with appropriate biochemical and mechanical characteristics is critical for engineering tissue-engineered replacements. The extracellular matrix (ECM) is a dynamic scaffolding structure characterized by tissue-specific biochemical, biophysical, and mechanical properties that modulates cellular behavior and activates highly regulated signaling pathways. In light of technological advancements, biomaterial-based scaffolds have been developed that better mimic physiological ECM properties, provide signaling cues that modulate cellular behavior, and form functional tissues and organs. In this review, we summarize the in vitro, pre-clinical, and clinical research models that have been employed in the design of ECM-based biomaterials for cardiovascular regenerative medicine. We highlight the research advancements in the incorporation of ECM components into biomaterial-based scaffolds, the engineering of increasingly complex structures using biofabrication and spatial patterning techniques, the regulation of ECMs on vascular differentiation and function, and the translation of ECM-based scaffolds for vascular graft applications. Finally, we discuss the challenges, future perspectives, and directions in the design of next-generation ECM-based biomaterials for cardiovascular tissue engineering and clinical translation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Maedeh Zamani
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA;
- Stanford Cardiovascular Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Ngan F. Huang
- Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA;
- Stanford Cardiovascular Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA
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Stein JM, Mummery CL, Bellin M. Engineered models of the human heart: Directions and challenges. Stem Cell Reports 2021; 16:2049-2057. [PMID: 33338434 PMCID: PMC8452488 DOI: 10.1016/j.stemcr.2020.11.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2020] [Revised: 11/18/2020] [Accepted: 11/19/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Human heart (patho)physiology is now widely studied using human pluripotent stem cells, but the immaturity of derivative cardiomyocytes has largely limited disease modeling to conditions associated with mutations in cardiac ion channel genes. Recent advances in tissue engineering and organoids have, however, created new opportunities to study diseases beyond "channelopathies." These synthetic cardiac structures allow quantitative measurement of contraction, force, and other biophysical parameters in three-dimensional configurations, in which the cardiomyocytes in addition become more mature. Multiple cardiac-relevant cell types are also often combined to form organized cardiac tissue mimetic constructs, where cell-cell, cell-extracellular matrix, and paracrine interactions can be mimicked. In this review, we provide an overview of some of the most promising technologies being implemented specifically in personalized heart-on-a-chip models and explore their applications, drawbacks, and potential for future development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeroen M Stein
- Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden 2333ZA, the Netherlands
| | - Christine L Mummery
- Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden 2333ZA, the Netherlands; Department of Applied Stem Cell Technologies, University of Twente, Enschede 7500AE, the Netherlands
| | - Milena Bellin
- Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden 2333ZA, the Netherlands; Department of Biology, University of Padua, Padua 35131, Italy; Veneto Institute of Molecular Medicine, Padua 35129, Italy.
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Kim KS, Joo HJ, Choi SC, Kim JH, Park CY, Song MH, Noh JM, Cha JJ, Hong SJ, Ahn TH, Kim MN, Na JE, Rhyu IJ, Lim DS. Transplantation of 3D bio-printed cardiac mesh improves cardiac function and vessel formation via ANGPT1/Tie2 pathway in rats with acute myocardial infarction. Biofabrication 2021; 13. [PMID: 34404035 DOI: 10.1088/1758-5090/ac1e78] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2021] [Accepted: 08/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
A novel tissue engineering strategy using 3D bio-print technology has become a promising therapeutic method for acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in an animal model. However, the application of 3D bio-printed tissue remains limited due to poor graft survival. Therefore, it is a scientific priority to enhance graft survival by precisely adjusting the 3D environment of encapsulated cells. In this study, novel transplantable 3D cardiac mesh (cMesh) tissue with a porous mesh structure was presented using human cardiomyocytes, human cardiac fibroblasts, and gelatin-methacryloyl-collagen hydrogel. Cardiomyocytes and cardiac fibroblasts were well spreaded. The cardiomyocytes were connected with a gap junction channel in bio-printed cMesh and a 3D cardiac patch with an aggregated structure. Porous cMesh demonstrated structural advantages by increased phosphorylation of mTOR, AKT, and ERK signals associated with cell survival. Transplanted cMesh in rats with AMI improved long-term graft survival, vessel formation, and stabilization, reduced fibrosis, increased left ventricle thickness, and enhanced cardiac function. Our results suggest that porous cMesh provides structural advantages and a positive therapeutic effect in an AMI animal model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyung Seob Kim
- Department of Cardiology, Cardiovascular Center, College of Medicine, Korea University, 145 Anam-ro, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyung Joon Joo
- Department of Cardiology, Cardiovascular Center, College of Medicine, Korea University, 145 Anam-ro, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - Seung-Cheol Choi
- Department of Cardiology, Cardiovascular Center, College of Medicine, Korea University, 145 Anam-ro, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - Jong-Ho Kim
- Department of Cardiology, Cardiovascular Center, College of Medicine, Korea University, 145 Anam-ro, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - Chi-Yeon Park
- Department of Cardiology, Cardiovascular Center, College of Medicine, Korea University, 145 Anam-ro, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - Myeong-Hwa Song
- Department of Cardiology, Cardiovascular Center, College of Medicine, Korea University, 145 Anam-ro, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - Ji-Min Noh
- Department of Cardiology, Cardiovascular Center, College of Medicine, Korea University, 145 Anam-ro, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - Jung-Joon Cha
- Department of Cardiology, Cardiovascular Center, College of Medicine, Korea University, 145 Anam-ro, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - Soon Jun Hong
- Department of Cardiology, Cardiovascular Center, College of Medicine, Korea University, 145 Anam-ro, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - Tae Hoon Ahn
- Department of Cardiology, Cardiovascular Center, College of Medicine, Korea University, 145 Anam-ro, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - Mi-Na Kim
- Department of Cardiology, Cardiovascular Center, College of Medicine, Korea University, 145 Anam-ro, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - Ji Eun Na
- Department of Anatomy, College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - Im Joo Rhyu
- Department of Anatomy, College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - Do-Sun Lim
- Department of Cardiology, Cardiovascular Center, College of Medicine, Korea University, 145 Anam-ro, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea
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Gu X, Zhou F, Mu J. Recent Advances in Maturation of Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Cardiomyocytes Promoted by Mechanical Stretch. Med Sci Monit 2021; 27:e931063. [PMID: 34381009 PMCID: PMC8369941 DOI: 10.12659/msm.931063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Stem cells have significant potential use in tissue regeneration, especially for treating cardiac diseases because of their multi-directional differentiation capability. By mimicking the in vivo physiological environment of native cardiomyocytes during their development and maturation, researchers have been able to induce pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (PSC-CMs) at high purity. However, the phenotype of these PSC-CMs is immature compared with that of adult cardiomyocytes. Various strategies have been explored to improve the maturity of PSC-CMs, such as long-term culturing, mechanical stimuli, chemical stimuli, and combinations of these strategies. Among these strategies, mechanical stretch as a key mechanical stimulus plays an important role in PSC-CM maturation. In this review, the optimal parameters of mechanical stretch, the effects of mechanical stretch on maturation of PSC-CMs, underlying molecular mechanisms as well as existing problems are discussed. Mechanical stretch is a powerful approach to promote the maturation of SC-CMs in terms of morphology, structure, and functionality. Nonetheless, further research efforts are needed to reach a satisfactory standard for clinical applications of PSC-CMs in treating cardiac diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xingwang Gu
- Capital Medical University, Beijing, China (mainland)
| | - Fan Zhou
- Department of Ultrasound, Third Medical Center of Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) General Hospital, Beijing, China (mainland)
| | - Junsheng Mu
- Department of Cardiac Surgery, Beijing Anzhen Hospital, Beijing, China (mainland)
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Andrysiak K, Stępniewski J, Dulak J. Human-induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes, 3D cardiac structures, and heart-on-a-chip as tools for drug research. Pflugers Arch 2021; 473:1061-1085. [PMID: 33629131 PMCID: PMC8245367 DOI: 10.1007/s00424-021-02536-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2020] [Revised: 02/01/2021] [Accepted: 02/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Development of new drugs is of high interest for the field of cardiac and cardiovascular diseases, which are a dominant cause of death worldwide. Before being allowed to be used and distributed, every new potentially therapeutic compound must be strictly validated during preclinical and clinical trials. The preclinical studies usually involve the in vitro and in vivo evaluation. Due to the increasing reporting of discrepancy in drug effects in animal and humans and the requirement to reduce the number of animals used in research, improvement of in vitro models based on human cells is indispensable. Primary cardiac cells are difficult to access and maintain in cell culture for extensive experiments; therefore, the human-induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs) became an excellent alternative. This technology enables a production of high number of patient- and disease-specific cardiomyocytes and other cardiac cell types for a large-scale research. The drug effects can be extensively evaluated in the context of electrophysiological responses with a use of well-established tools, such as multielectrode array (MEA), patch clamp, or calcium ion oscillation measurements. Cardiotoxicity, which is a common reason for withdrawing drugs from marketing or rejection at final stages of clinical trials, can be easily verified with a use of hiPSC-CM model providing a prediction of human-specific responses and higher safety of clinical trials involving patient cohort. Abovementioned studies can be performed using two-dimensional cell culture providing a high-throughput and relatively lower costs. On the other hand, more complex structures, such as engineered heart tissue, organoids, or spheroids, frequently applied as co-culture systems, represent more physiological conditions and higher maturation rate of hiPSC-derived cells. Furthermore, heart-on-a-chip technology has recently become an increasingly popular tool, as it implements controllable culture conditions, application of various stimulations and continuous parameters read-out. This paper is an overview of possible use of cardiomyocytes and other cardiac cell types derived from hiPSC as in vitro models of heart in drug research area prepared on the basis of latest scientific reports and providing thorough discussion regarding their advantages and limitations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kalina Andrysiak
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland
| | - Jacek Stępniewski
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland
| | - Józef Dulak
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland.
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Gharanei M, Shafaattalab S, Sangha S, Gunawan M, Laksman Z, Hove-Madsen L, Tibbits GF. Atrial-specific hiPSC-derived cardiomyocytes in drug discovery and disease modeling. Methods 2021; 203:364-377. [PMID: 34144175 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymeth.2021.06.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2021] [Revised: 06/08/2021] [Accepted: 06/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The discovery and application of human-induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) have been instrumental in the investigation of the pathophysiology of cardiovascular diseases. Patient-specific hiPSCs can now be generated, genome-edited, and subsequently differentiated into various cell types and used for regenerative medicine, disease modeling, drug testing, toxicity screening, and 3D tissue generation. Modulation of the retinoic acid signaling pathway has been shown to direct cardiomyocyte differentiation towards an atrial lineage. A variety of studies have successfully differentiated patient-specific atrial cardiac myocytes (hiPSC-aCM) and atrial engineered heart tissue (aEHT) that express atrial specific genes (e.g., sarcolipin and ANP) and exhibit atrial electrophysiological and contractility profiles. Identification of protocols to differentiate atrial cells from patients with atrial fibrillation and other inherited diseases or creating disease models using genetic mutation studies has shed light on the mechanisms of atrial-specific diseases and identified the efficacy of atrial-selective pharmacological compounds. hiPSC-aCMs and aEHTs can be used in drug discovery and drug screening studies to investigate the efficacy of atrial selective drugs on atrial fibrillation models. Furthermore, hiPSC-aCMs can be effective tools in studying the mechanism, pathophysiology and treatment options of atrial fibrillation and its genetic underpinnings. The main limitation of using hiPSC-CMs is their immature phenotype compared to adult CMs. A wide range of approaches and protocols are used by various laboratories to optimize and enhance CM maturation, including electrical stimulation, culture time, biophysical cues and changes in metabolic factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mayel Gharanei
- Molecular Cardiac Physiology Group, Departments of Biomedical Physiology and Kinesiology and Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia V5A 1S6, Canada; hiPSC-CM Research Team, British Columbia Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia V5Z 4H4, Canada
| | - Sanam Shafaattalab
- Molecular Cardiac Physiology Group, Departments of Biomedical Physiology and Kinesiology and Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia V5A 1S6, Canada; hiPSC-CM Research Team, British Columbia Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia V5Z 4H4, Canada
| | - Sarabjit Sangha
- Molecular Cardiac Physiology Group, Departments of Biomedical Physiology and Kinesiology and Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia V5A 1S6, Canada; hiPSC-CM Research Team, British Columbia Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia V5Z 4H4, Canada
| | - Marvin Gunawan
- Molecular Cardiac Physiology Group, Departments of Biomedical Physiology and Kinesiology and Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia V5A 1S6, Canada; hiPSC-CM Research Team, British Columbia Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia V5Z 4H4, Canada
| | - Zachary Laksman
- Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada; School of Biomedical Engineering, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Leif Hove-Madsen
- Cardiac Rhythm and Contraction Group, IIBB-CSIC, CIBERCV, IIB Sant Pau, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Barcelona 08025, Spain
| | - Glen F Tibbits
- Molecular Cardiac Physiology Group, Departments of Biomedical Physiology and Kinesiology and Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia V5A 1S6, Canada; hiPSC-CM Research Team, British Columbia Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia V5Z 4H4, Canada; School of Biomedical Engineering, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
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43
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Zhang Y, Wang J, Ye M, Li G, Zhong M, Guan X. The effect of mechanical stimulation on the expression of apoptosis-related genes in cardiomyocytes. APPLIED NANOSCIENCE 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s13204-021-01901-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Rafatian N, Vizely K, Al Asafen H, Korolj A, Radisic M. Drawing Inspiration from Developmental Biology for Cardiac Tissue Engineers. Adv Biol (Weinh) 2021; 5:e2000190. [PMID: 34008910 DOI: 10.1002/adbi.202000190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2020] [Revised: 12/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
A sound understanding of developmental biology is part of the foundation of effective stem cell-derived tissue engineering. Here, the key concepts of cardiac development that are successfully applied in a bioinspired approach to growing engineered cardiac tissues, are reviewed. The native cardiac milieu is studied extensively from embryonic to adult phenotypes, as it provides a resource of factors, mechanisms, and protocols to consider when working toward establishing living tissues in vitro. It begins with the various cell types that constitute the cardiac tissue. It is discussed how myocytes interact with other cell types and their microenvironment and how they change over time from the embryonic to the adult states, with a view on how such changes affect the tissue function and may be used in engineered tissue models. Key embryonic signaling pathways that have been leveraged in the design of culture media and differentiation protocols are presented. The cellular microenvironment, from extracellular matrix chemical and physical properties, to the dynamic mechanical and electrical forces that are exerted on tissues is explored. It is shown that how such microenvironmental factors can inform the design of biomaterials, scaffolds, stimulation bioreactors, and maturation readouts, and suggest considerations for ongoing biomimetic advancement of engineered cardiac tissues and regeneration strategies for the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naimeh Rafatian
- Toronto General Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, M5G 2C4, Canada
| | - Katrina Vizely
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 3E5, Canada
| | - Hadel Al Asafen
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 3E5, Canada
| | - Anastasia Korolj
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 3E5, Canada.,Institute of Biomaterials Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 3G9, Canada
| | - Milica Radisic
- Toronto General Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, M5G 2C4, Canada.,Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 3E5, Canada.,Institute of Biomaterials Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 3G9, Canada
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Lim Lam VK, Hin Wong JY, Chew SY, Chan BP. Rac1-GTPase regulates compression-induced actin protrusions (CAPs) of mesenchymal stem cells in 3D collagen micro-tissues. Biomaterials 2021; 274:120829. [PMID: 33933985 DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2021.120829] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2020] [Revised: 04/13/2021] [Accepted: 04/13/2021] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Cells can sense mechanical signals through cytoskeleton reorganization. We previously discovered the formation of omni-directional actin protrusions upon compression loading, namely compression-induced actin protrusions (CAPs), in human mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in 3D micro-tissues. Here, the regulatory roles of three RhoGTPases (CDC42, Rac1 and RhoA) in the formation of CAPs were investigated. Upon compression loading, extensive formation of CAPs was found, significantly associated with an upregulated mRNA expression of Rac1 only, but not CDC42, nor RhoA. Upon chemical inhibition of these RhoGTPase activity during compression, only Rac1 activity was significantly suppressed, associating with the reduced CAP formation. Silencing the upstream regulators of these RhoGTPase pathways including Rac1 by specific siRNA dramatically disrupted actin cytoskeleton, distorted cell morphology and aborted CAP formation. Silencing cortactin (CTTN), a downstream effector of the Rac1 pathway, induced a compensatory upregulation of Rac1, enabling the MSCs to respond to the compression loading stimulus in terms of CAP formation, although at a reduced number. The importance of Rac1 signalling in CAP formation and the corresponding upregulation of lamellipodial markers also suggest that these CAPs are lamellipodia in nature. This study delineates the mechanism of compression-induced cytoskeleton reorganization, contributing to rationalizing mechanical loading regimes for functional tissue engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincent Kwok Lim Lam
- Tissue Engineering Laboratory, Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China
| | - Johnny Yu Hin Wong
- Tissue Engineering Laboratory, Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China
| | - Sing Yian Chew
- School of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, 637459, Singapore
| | - Barbara Pui Chan
- Tissue Engineering Laboratory, Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China.
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Lu K, Seidel T, Cao-Ehlker X, Dorn T, Batcha AMN, Schneider CM, Semmler M, Volk T, Moretti A, Dendorfer A, Tomasi R. Progressive stretch enhances growth and maturation of 3D stem-cell-derived myocardium. Am J Cancer Res 2021; 11:6138-6153. [PMID: 33995650 PMCID: PMC8120210 DOI: 10.7150/thno.54999] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2020] [Accepted: 03/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Bio-engineered myocardium has great potential to substitute damaged myocardium and for studies of myocardial physiology and disease, but structural and functional immaturity still implies limitations. Current protocols of engineered heart tissue (EHT) generation fall short of simulating the conditions of postnatal myocardial growth, which are characterized by tissue expansion and increased mechanical load. To investigate whether these two parameters can improve EHT maturation, we developed a new approach for the generation of cardiac tissues based on biomimetic stimulation under application of continuously increasing stretch. Methods: EHTs were generated by assembling cardiomyocytes derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSC-CM) at high cell density in a low collagen hydrogel. Maturation and growth of the EHTs were induced in a custom-made biomimetic tissue culture system that provided continuous electrical stimulation and medium agitation along with progressive stretch at four different increments. Tissues were characterized after a three week conditioning period. Results: The highest rate of stretch (S3 = 0.32 mm/day) increased force development by 5.1-fold compared to tissue with a fixed length, reaching contractility of 11.28 mN/mm². Importantly, intensely stretched EHTs developed physiological length-dependencies of active and passive forces (systolic/diastolic ratio = 9.47 ± 0.84), and a positive force-frequency relationship (1.25-fold contractility at 180 min-1). Functional markers of stretch-dependent maturation included enhanced and more rapid Ca2+ transients, higher amplitude and upstroke velocity of action potentials, and pronounced adrenergic responses. Stretch conditioned hiPSC-CMs displayed structural improvements in cellular volume, linear alignment, and sarcomere length (2.19 ± 0.1 µm), and an overall upregulation of genes that are specifically expressed in adult cardiomyocytes. Conclusions: With the intention to simulate postnatal heart development, we have established techniques of tissue assembly and biomimetic culture that avoid tissue shrinkage and yield muscle fibers with contractility and compliance approaching the properties of adult myocardium. This study demonstrates that cultivation under progressive stretch is a feasible way to induce growth and maturation of stem cell-derived myocardium. The novel tissue-engineering approach fulfills important requirements of disease modelling and therapeutic tissue replacement.
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47
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Physiological and pharmacological stimulation for in vitro maturation of substrate metabolism in human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes. Sci Rep 2021; 11:7802. [PMID: 33833285 PMCID: PMC8032667 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-87186-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2020] [Accepted: 03/22/2021] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs) enable human cardiac cells to be studied in vitro, although they use glucose as their primary metabolic substrate and do not recapitulate the properties of adult cardiomyocytes. Here, we have explored the interplay between maturation by stimulation of fatty acid oxidation and by culture in 3D. We have investigated substrate metabolism in hiPSC-CMs grown as a monolayer and in 3D, in porous collagen-derived scaffolds and in engineered heart tissue (EHT), by measuring rates of glycolysis and glucose and fatty acid oxidation (FAO), and changes in gene expression and mitochondrial oxygen consumption. FAO was stimulated by activation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARα), using oleate and the agonist WY-14643, which induced an increase in FAO in monolayer hiPSC-CMs. hiPSC-CMs grown in 3D on collagen-derived scaffolds showed reduced glycolysis and increased FAO compared with monolayer cells. Activation of PPARα further increased FAO in cells on collagen/elastin scaffolds but not collagen or collagen/chondroitin-4-sulphate scaffolds. In EHT, FAO was significantly higher than in monolayer cells or those on static scaffolds and could be further increased by culture with oleate and WY-14643. In conclusion, a more mature metabolic phenotype can be induced by culture in 3D and FAO can be incremented by pharmacological stimulation.
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Lui C, Chin AF, Park S, Yeung E, Kwon C, Tomaselli G, Chen Y, Hibino N. Mechanical stimulation enhances development of scaffold-free, 3D-printed, engineered heart tissue grafts. J Tissue Eng Regen Med 2021; 15:503-512. [PMID: 33749089 DOI: 10.1002/term.3188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2020] [Accepted: 03/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Current efforts to engineer a clinically relevant tissue graft from human-induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) have relied on the addition or utilization of external scaffolding material. However, any imbalance in the interactions between embedded cells and their surroundings may hinder the success of the resulting tissue graft. Therefore, the goal of our study was to create scaffold-free, 3D-printed cardiac tissue grafts from hiPSC-derived cardiomyocytes (CMs), and to evaluate whether or not mechanical stimulation would result in improved graft maturation. To explore this, we used a 3D bioprinter to produce scaffold-free cardiac tissue grafts from hiPSC-derived CM cell spheroids. Static mechanical stretching of these grafts significantly increased sarcomere length compared to unstimulated free-floating tissues, as determined by immunofluorescent image analysis. Stretched tissue was found to have decreased elastic modulus, increased maximal contractile force, and increased alignment of formed extracellular matrix, as expected in a functionally maturing tissue graft. Additionally, stretched tissues had upregulated expression of cardiac-specific gene transcripts, consistent with increased cardiac-like cellular identity. Finally, analysis of extracellular matrix organization in stretched grafts suggests improved remodeling by embedded cardiac fibroblasts. Taken together, our results suggest that mechanical stretching stimulates hiPSC-derived CMs in a 3D-printed, scaffold-free tissue graft to develop mature cardiac material structuring and cellular fates. Our work highlights the critical role of mechanical conditioning as an important engineering strategy toward developing clinically applicable, scaffold-free human cardiac tissue grafts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cecillia Lui
- Division of Cardiac Surgery, The Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Alexander F Chin
- Department of Biology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Seungman Park
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Enoch Yeung
- Division of Cardiac Surgery, The Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Chulan Kwon
- Division of Cardiology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Gordon Tomaselli
- Division of Cardiology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.,Division of Cardiology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USA
| | - Yun Chen
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Narutoshi Hibino
- Division of Cardiac Surgery, The Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
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James EC, Tomaskovic-Crook E, Crook JM. Bioengineering Clinically Relevant Cardiomyocytes and Cardiac Tissues from Pluripotent Stem Cells. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22063005. [PMID: 33809429 PMCID: PMC8001925 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22063005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2021] [Revised: 03/11/2021] [Accepted: 03/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The regenerative capacity of cardiomyocytes is insufficient to functionally recover damaged tissue, and as such, ischaemic heart disease forms the largest proportion of cardiovascular associated deaths. Human-induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) have enormous potential for developing patient specific cardiomyocytes for modelling heart disease, patient-based cardiac toxicity testing and potentially replacement therapy. However, traditional protocols for hiPSC-derived cardiomyocytes yield mixed populations of atrial, ventricular and nodal-like cells with immature cardiac properties. New insights gleaned from embryonic heart development have progressed the precise production of subtype-specific hiPSC-derived cardiomyocytes; however, their physiological immaturity severely limits their utility as model systems and their use for drug screening and cell therapy. The long-entrenched challenges in this field are being addressed by innovative bioengingeering technologies that incorporate biophysical, biochemical and more recently biomimetic electrical cues, with the latter having the potential to be used to both direct hiPSC differentiation and augment maturation and the function of derived cardiomyocytes and cardiac tissues by mimicking endogenous electric fields.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma Claire James
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Electromaterials Science, Intelligent Polymer Research Institute, AIIM Facility, University of Wollongong, Wollongong 2500, Australia;
| | - Eva Tomaskovic-Crook
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Electromaterials Science, Intelligent Polymer Research Institute, AIIM Facility, University of Wollongong, Wollongong 2500, Australia;
- Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Wollongong 2500, Australia
- Correspondence: (E.T.-C.); (J.M.C.)
| | - Jeremy Micah Crook
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Electromaterials Science, Intelligent Polymer Research Institute, AIIM Facility, University of Wollongong, Wollongong 2500, Australia;
- Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Wollongong 2500, Australia
- Department of Surgery, St Vincent’s Hospital, The University of Melbourne, Fitzroy 3065, Australia
- Correspondence: (E.T.-C.); (J.M.C.)
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50
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Dou W, Wang L, Malhi M, Liu H, Zhao Q, Plakhotnik J, Xu Z, Huang Z, Simmons CA, Maynes JT, Sun Y. A microdevice platform for characterizing the effect of mechanical strain magnitudes on the maturation of iPSC-Cardiomyocytes. Biosens Bioelectron 2020; 175:112875. [PMID: 33303322 DOI: 10.1016/j.bios.2020.112875] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2020] [Revised: 11/09/2020] [Accepted: 11/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The use of human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (iPSC-CMs) as an in vitro model of the heart is limited by their structurally and functionally immature phenotypes. During heart development, mechanical stimuli from in vivo microenvironments are known to regulate cardiomyocyte gene expression and maturation. Accordingly, protocols for culturing iPSC-CMs have recently incorporated mechanical or electromechanical stimulation to induce cellular maturation in vitro; however, the response of iPSC-CMs to different mechanical strain magnitudes is unknown, and existing techniques lack the capability to dynamically measure changes to iPSC-CM contractility in situ as maturation progresses. We developed a microdevice platform which applies cyclical strains of varying magnitudes (5%, 10%, 15% and 20%) to a monolayer of iPSC-CMs, coincidentally measuring contractile stress during mechanical stimulation using fluorescent nanobeads embedded in the microdevice's suspended membrane. Cyclic strain was found to induce circumferential cell alignment on the actuated membranes. In situ contractility measurements revealed that cyclic stimulation gradually increased cardiomyocyte contractility during a 10-day culture period. The contractile stress of iPSC-CM monolayers was found to increase with a higher strain magnitude and plateaued at 15% strain. Cardiomyocyte contractility positively correlated with the elongation of sarcomeres and an increased expression of β-myosin heavy chain (MYH7) in a strain magnitude-dependent manner, illustrating how mechanical stress can be optimized for the phenotypic and proteomic maturation of the cells. iPSC-CMs with improved maturity have the potential to create a more accurate heart model in vitro for applications in disease modeling and therapeutic discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenkun Dou
- Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, M5S 3G8, Canada
| | - Li Wang
- Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, M5S 3G8, Canada; School of Mechanical & Automotive Engineering, Qilu University of Technology (Shandong Academy of Sciences), Jinan, 250353, China
| | - Manpreet Malhi
- Program in Molecular Medicine, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, M5G 1X8, Canada; Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Haijiao Liu
- Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, M5S 3G8, Canada; Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, M5S 3G9, Canada
| | - Qili Zhao
- Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, M5S 3G8, Canada
| | - Julia Plakhotnik
- Program in Molecular Medicine, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, M5G 1X8, Canada; Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Zhensong Xu
- Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, M5S 3G8, Canada
| | - Zongjie Huang
- Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, M5S 3G8, Canada
| | - Craig A Simmons
- Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, M5S 3G8, Canada; Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, M5S 3G9, Canada; Translational Biology and Engineering Program, Ted Rogers Centre for Heart Research, Toronto, M5G 1M1, Canada.
| | - Jason T Maynes
- Program in Molecular Medicine, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, M5G 1X8, Canada; Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, M5S 1A8, Canada; Department of Anesthesia and Pain Medicine, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, M5G 1X8, Canada.
| | - Yu Sun
- Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, M5S 3G8, Canada; Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, M5S 3G9, Canada; Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Toronto, M5S 3G4, Canada; Department of Computer Science, University of Toronto, M5T 3A1, Canada.
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