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Benko A, Webster TJ. How to fix a broken heart-designing biofunctional cues for effective, environmentally-friendly cardiac tissue engineering. Front Chem 2023; 11:1267018. [PMID: 37901157 PMCID: PMC10602933 DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2023.1267018] [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: 07/25/2023] [Accepted: 09/04/2023] [Indexed: 10/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Cardiovascular diseases bear strong socioeconomic and ecological impact on the worldwide healthcare system. A large consumption of goods, use of polymer-based cardiovascular biomaterials, and long hospitalization times add up to an extensive carbon footprint on the environment often turning out to be ineffective at healing such cardiovascular diseases. On the other hand, cardiac cell toxicity is among the most severe but common side effect of drugs used to treat numerous diseases from COVID-19 to diabetes, often resulting in the withdrawal of such pharmaceuticals from the market. Currently, most patients that have suffered from cardiovascular disease will never fully recover. All of these factors further contribute to the extensive negative toll pharmaceutical, biotechnological, and biomedical companies have on the environment. Hence, there is a dire need to develop new environmentally-friendly strategies that on the one hand would promise cardiac tissue regeneration after damage and on the other hand would offer solutions for the fast screening of drugs to ensure that they do not cause cardiovascular toxicity. Importantly, both require one thing-a mature, functioning cardiac tissue that can be fabricated in a fast, reliable, and repeatable manner from environmentally friendly biomaterials in the lab. This is not an easy task to complete as numerous approaches have been undertaken, separately and combined, to achieve it. This review gathers such strategies and provides insights into which succeed or fail and what is needed for the field of environmentally-friendly cardiac tissue engineering to prosper.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Thomas J. Webster
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Hebei University of Technology, Tianjin, China
- School of Engineering, Saveetha University, Chennai, India
- Program in Materials Science, UFPI, Teresina, Brazil
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Takaya H, Comtois-Bona M, Spasojevic A, Cortes D, Variola F, Liang W, Ruel M, Suuronen EJ, Alarcon EI. BEaTS-β: an open-source electromechanical bioreactor for simulating human cardiac disease conditions. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2023; 11:1253602. [PMID: 37781536 PMCID: PMC10540188 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2023.1253602] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2023] [Accepted: 09/01/2023] [Indexed: 10/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Heart disease remains the leading cause of worldwide mortality. Although the last decades have broadened our understanding of the biology behind the pathologies of heart disease, ex vivo systems capable of mimicking disease progression and abnormal heart function using human cells remain elusive. In this contribution, an open-access electromechanical system (BEaTS-β) capable of mimicking the environment of cardiac disease is reported. BEaTS-β was designed using computer-aided modeling to combine tunable electrical stimulation and mechanical deformation of cells cultured on a flexible elastomer. To recapitulate the clinical scenario of a heart attack more closely, in designing BEaTS-β we considered a device capable to operate under hypoxic conditions. We tested human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes, fibroblasts, and coronary artery endothelial cells in our simulated myocardial infarction environment. Our results indicate that, under simulated myocardium infarction, there was a decrease in maturation of cardiomyocytes, and reduced survival of fibroblasts and coronary artery endothelial cells. The open access nature of BEaTS-β will allow for other investigators to use this platform to investigate cardiac cell biology or drug therapeutic efficacy in vitro under conditions that simulate arrhythmia and/or myocardial infarction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroki Takaya
- Division of Cardiac Surgery, University of Ottawa Heart Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Maxime Comtois-Bona
- Division of Cardiac Surgery, University of Ottawa Heart Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Biomedical Mechanical Engineering, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Ana Spasojevic
- Division of Cardiac Surgery, University of Ottawa Heart Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - David Cortes
- Division of Cardiac Surgery, University of Ottawa Heart Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Biomedical Mechanical Engineering, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Fabio Variola
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Wenbin Liang
- Cardiac Electrophysiology Laboratory, University of Ottawa Heart Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Marc Ruel
- Division of Cardiac Surgery, University of Ottawa Heart Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Erik J. Suuronen
- Division of Cardiac Surgery, University of Ottawa Heart Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Emilio I. Alarcon
- Division of Cardiac Surgery, University of Ottawa Heart Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
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Di Gravina GM, Loi G, Auricchio F, Conti M. Computer-aided engineering and additive manufacturing for bioreactors in tissue engineering: State of the art and perspectives. BIOPHYSICS REVIEWS 2023; 4:031303. [PMID: 38510707 PMCID: PMC10903388 DOI: 10.1063/5.0156704] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2023] [Accepted: 07/21/2023] [Indexed: 03/22/2024]
Abstract
Two main challenges are currently present in the healthcare world, i.e., the limitations given by transplantation and the need to have available 3D in vitro models. In this context, bioreactors are devices that have been introduced in tissue engineering as a support for facing the mentioned challenges by mimicking the cellular native microenvironment through the application of physical stimuli. Bioreactors can be divided into two groups based on their final application: macro- and micro-bioreactors, which address the first and second challenge, respectively. The bioreactor design is a crucial step as it determines the way in which physical stimuli are provided to cells. It strongly depends on the manufacturing techniques chosen for the realization. In particular, in bioreactor prototyping, additive manufacturing techniques are widely used nowadays as they allow the fabrication of customized shapes, guaranteeing more degrees of freedom. To support the bioreactor design, a powerful tool is represented by computational simulations that allow to avoid useless approaches of trial-and-error. In the present review, we aim to discuss the general workflow that must be carried out to develop an optimal macro- and micro-bioreactor. Accordingly, we organize the discussion by addressing the following topics: general and stimulus-specific (i.e., perfusion, mechanical, and electrical) requirements that must be considered during the design phase based on the tissue target; computational models as support in designing bioreactors based on the provided stimulus; manufacturing techniques, with a special focus on additive manufacturing techniques; and finally, current applications and new trends in which bioreactors are involved.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Giada Loi
- Department of Civil Engineering and Architecture, University of Pavia, Via Ferrata 3, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Ferdinando Auricchio
- Department of Civil Engineering and Architecture, University of Pavia, Via Ferrata 3, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Michele Conti
- Department of Civil Engineering and Architecture, University of Pavia, Via Ferrata 3, 27100 Pavia, Italy
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O’Hara-Wright M, Mobini S, Gonzalez-Cordero A. Bioelectric Potential in Next-Generation Organoids: Electrical Stimulation to Enhance 3D Structures of the Central Nervous System. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:901652. [PMID: 35656553 PMCID: PMC9152151 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.901652] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2022] [Accepted: 05/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Pluripotent stem cell-derived organoid models of the central nervous system represent one of the most exciting areas in in vitro tissue engineering. Classically, organoids of the brain, retina and spinal cord have been generated via recapitulation of in vivo developmental cues, including biochemical and biomechanical. However, a lesser studied cue, bioelectricity, has been shown to regulate central nervous system development and function. In particular, electrical stimulation of neural cells has generated some important phenotypes relating to development and differentiation. Emerging techniques in bioengineering and biomaterials utilise electrical stimulation using conductive polymers. However, state-of-the-art pluripotent stem cell technology has not yet merged with this exciting area of bioelectricity. Here, we discuss recent findings in the field of bioelectricity relating to the central nervous system, possible mechanisms, and how electrical stimulation may be utilised as a novel technique to engineer “next-generation” organoids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle O’Hara-Wright
- Stem Cell Medicine Group, Children’s Medical Research Institute, University of Sydney, Westmead, NSW, Australia
- School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Westmead, NSW, Australia
| | - Sahba Mobini
- Instituto de Micro y Nanotecnología, IMN-CNM, CSIC (CEI UAM + CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Anai Gonzalez-Cordero
- Stem Cell Medicine Group, Children’s Medical Research Institute, University of Sydney, Westmead, NSW, Australia
- School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Westmead, NSW, Australia
- *Correspondence: Anai Gonzalez-Cordero,
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Engineering the niche to differentiate and deploy cardiovascular cells. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2021; 74:122-128. [PMID: 34861477 DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2021.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2021] [Revised: 10/23/2021] [Accepted: 11/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Applications for stem cells have ranged from therapeutic interventions to more conventional screening and in vitro modeling, but significant limitations to each is due to the lack of maturity from decades old monolayer protocols. While those methods remain the 'gold standard,' newer three-dimensional methods, when combined with engineered niche, stand to significantly improve cell maturity and enable new applications. Here in three parts, we first discuss past methods, and where and why we believe those methods produced suboptimal myocytes. Second, we note how newer methods are moving the field into an era of cell mechanical, electrical, and biological maturity. Finally, we highlight how these improvements will solve issues of scale and engraftment to yield clinical success. It is our conclusion that only through a combination of diverse cell populations and engineered niche will we create an engineered heart tissue with the maturity and vasculature to integrate successfully into a host.
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Carlos-Oliveira M, Lozano-Juan F, Occhetta P, Visone R, Rasponi M. Current strategies of mechanical stimulation for maturation of cardiac microtissues. Biophys Rev 2021; 13:717-727. [PMID: 34765047 PMCID: PMC8555032 DOI: 10.1007/s12551-021-00841-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2021] [Accepted: 08/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The most advanced in vitro cardiac models are today based on the use of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs); however, the maturation of cardiomyocytes (CMs) has not yet been fully achieved. Therefore, there is a rising need to move towards models capable of promoting an adult-like cardiomyocytes phenotype. Many strategies have been applied such as co-culture of cardiomyocytes, with fibroblasts and endothelial cells, or conditioning them through biochemical factors and physical stimulations. Here, we focus on mechanical stimulation as it aims to mimic the different mechanical forces that heart receives during its development and the post-natal period. We describe the current strategies and the mechanical properties necessary to promote a positive response in cardiac tissues from different cell sources, distinguishing between passive stimulation, which includes stiffness, topography and static stress and active stimulation, encompassing cyclic strain, compression or perfusion. We also highlight how mechanical stimulation is applied in disease modelling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Carlos-Oliveira
- Department of Electronics, Information and Bioengineering, Politecnico di Milano, Via Ponzio 34/5, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Ferran Lozano-Juan
- Department of Electronics, Information and Bioengineering, Politecnico di Milano, Via Ponzio 34/5, 20133 Milano, Italy.,BiomimX S.r.l., Via G. Durando 38/A, 20158 Milano, Italy
| | - Paola Occhetta
- Department of Electronics, Information and Bioengineering, Politecnico di Milano, Via Ponzio 34/5, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Roberta Visone
- Department of Electronics, Information and Bioengineering, Politecnico di Milano, Via Ponzio 34/5, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Marco Rasponi
- Department of Electronics, Information and Bioengineering, Politecnico di Milano, Via Ponzio 34/5, 20133 Milano, Italy
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Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW This review describes the latest advances in cell therapy, biomaterials and 3D bioprinting for the treatment of cardiovascular disease. RECENT FINDINGS Cell therapies offer the greatest benefit for patients suffering from chronic ischemic and nonischemic cardiomyopathy. Rather than replacing lost cardiomyocytes, the effects of most cell therapies are mediated by paracrine signalling, mainly through the induction of angiogenesis and immunomodulation. Cell preconditioning, or genetic modifications are being studied to improve the outcomes. Biomaterials offer stand-alone benefits such as bioactive cues for cell survival, proliferation and differentiation, induction of vascularization or prevention of further cardiomyocyte death. They also provide mechanical support or electroconductivity, and can be used to deliver cells, growth factors or drugs to the injured site. Apart from classical biomaterial manufacturing techniques, 3D bioprinting offers greater spatial control over biomaterial deposition and higher resolution of the details, including hollow vessel-like structures. SUMMARY Cell therapy induces mainly angiogenesis and immunomodulation. The ability to induce direct cardiomyocyte regeneration to replace the lost cardiomyocytes is, however, still missing until embryonic or induced pluripotent stem cell use becomes available. Cell therapy would benefit from combinatorial use with biomaterials, as these can prolong cell retention and survival, offer additional mechanical support and provide inherent bioactive cues. Biomaterials can also be used to deliver growth factors, drugs, and other molecules. 3D bioprinting is a high-resolution technique that has great potential in cardiac therapy.
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Sedlakova V, McTiernan C, Cortes D, Suuronen EJ, Alarcon EI. 3D Bioprinted Cardiac Tissues and Devices for Tissue Maturation. Cells Tissues Organs 2021; 211:406-419. [PMID: 33677445 DOI: 10.1159/000512792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2020] [Accepted: 10/27/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of mortality worldwide. Given the limited endogenous regenerative capabilities of cardiac tissue, patient-specific anatomy, challenges in treatment options, and shortage of donor tissues for transplantation, there is an urgent need for novel approaches in cardiac tissue repair. 3D bioprinting is a technology based on additive manufacturing which allows for the design of precisely controlled and spatially organized structures, which could possibly lead to solutions in cardiac tissue repair. In this review, we describe the basic morphological and physiological specifics of the heart and cardiac tissues and introduce the readers to the fundamental principles underlying 3D printing technology and some of the materials/approaches which have been used to date for cardiac repair. By summarizing recent progress in 3D printing of cardiac tissue and valves with respect to the key features of cardiovascular tissue (such as contractility, conductivity, and vascularization), we highlight how 3D printing can facilitate surgical planning and provide custom-fit implants and properties that match those from the native heart. Finally, we also discuss the suitability of this technology in the design and fabrication of custom-made devices intended for the maturation of the cardiac tissue, a process that has been shown to increase the viability of implants. Altogether this review shows that 3D printing and bioprinting are versatile and highly modulative technologies with wide applications in cardiac regeneration and beyond.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veronika Sedlakova
- BEaTS Research, Division of Cardiac Surgery, University of Ottawa Heart Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, Brno, Czechia
| | - Christopher McTiernan
- BEaTS Research, Division of Cardiac Surgery, University of Ottawa Heart Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - David Cortes
- BEaTS Research, Division of Cardiac Surgery, University of Ottawa Heart Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Erik J Suuronen
- BEaTS Research, Division of Cardiac Surgery, University of Ottawa Heart Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Emilio I Alarcon
- BEaTS Research, Division of Cardiac Surgery, University of Ottawa Heart Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, .,Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology, and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada,
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Ernst P, Chen K, Tang Y, Kim S, Guan J, He J, Xie M, Zhang JJ, Liu XM, Zhou L. Investigation into the difference in mitochondrial-cytosolic calcium coupling between adult cardiomyocyte and hiPSC-CM using a novel multifunctional genetic probe. Pflugers Arch 2021; 473:447-459. [PMID: 33587181 PMCID: PMC8100988 DOI: 10.1007/s00424-021-02524-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2020] [Revised: 01/24/2021] [Accepted: 01/26/2021] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Ca2+ cycling plays a critical role in regulating cardiomyocyte (CM) function under both physiological and pathological conditions. Mitochondria have been implicated in Ca2+ handling in adult cardiomyocytes (ACMs). However, little is known about their role in the regulation of Ca2+ dynamics in human-induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs). In the present study, we developed a multifunctional genetically encoded Ca2+ probe capable of simultaneously measuring cytosolic and mitochondrial Ca2+ in real time. Using this novel probe, we determined and compared mitochondrial Ca2+ activity and the coupling with cytosolic Ca2+ dynamics in hiPSC-CMs and ACMs. Our data showed that while ACMs displayed a highly coordinated beat-by-beat response in mitochondrial Ca2+ in sync with cytosolic Ca2+, hiPSC-CMs showed high cell-wide variability in mitochondrial Ca2+ activity that is poorly coordinated with cytosolic Ca2+. We then revealed that mitochondrial-sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) tethering, as well as the inter-mitochondrial network connection, is underdeveloped in hiPSC-CM compared to ACM, which may underlie the observed spatiotemporal decoupling between cytosolic and mitochondrial Ca2+ dynamics. Finally, we showed that knockdown of mitofusin-2 (Mfn2), a protein tethering mitochondria and SR, led to reduced cytosolic-mitochondrial Ca2+ coupling in ACMs, albeit to a lesser degree compared to hiPSC-CMs, suggesting that Mfn2 is a potential engineering target for improving mitochondrial-cytosolic Ca2+ coupling in hiPSC-CMs. Physiological relevance: The present study will advance our understanding of the role of mitochondria in Ca2+ handling and cycling in CMs, and guide the development of hiPSC-CMs for healing injured hearts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick Ernst
- Department of Medicine, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, 35294, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, 35294, USA
| | - Kai Chen
- Department of Medicine, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, 35294, USA
| | - Yawen Tang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, 35294, USA
| | - Seulhee Kim
- Department of Medicine, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, 35294, USA
| | - Jiashiung Guan
- Department of Medicine, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, 35294, USA
| | - Jin He
- Department of Medicine, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, 35294, USA
| | - Min Xie
- Department of Medicine, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, 35294, USA
| | - Jianyi Jay Zhang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, 35294, USA
| | - Xiaoguang Margaret Liu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, 35294, USA
| | - Lufang Zhou
- Department of Medicine, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, 35294, USA.
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, 35294, USA.
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