An innovative approach for myocardial infarction repair

Myocardial infarction is one of the main causes of death among cardiovascular disease patients. Cardiac tissue engineering is a promising potential treatment for infarctions, preventing substantial cell loss and allowing the creation of biomimetic cardiac tissue to repair damaged myocardial tissue.

Cardiac tissue consists of highly aligned cardiomyocytes that pulsate in unison. Research has shown that micro- and nano-scale surface patterns significantly influence cardiomyocyte alignment. Zhang et al. developed a contact guidance model based on width, spacing, and shape parameters enabling high-precision manufacturing of micropatterned cardiac patches.

The team used microfabrication through micro-molding to generate a range of distinct micropatterns on the photocrosslinkable GelMA hydrogel. The mechanical properties of this hydrogel closely resemble those of native cardiac tissues and exhibit high fidelity in micropattern fabrication.

“We identified that specific microgroove configurations significantly enhance the cells’ structural alignment and functional maturity, which are critical for cardiac tissue engineering,” said author Bin Zhang.

Induced pluripotent stem cell cardiomyocytes were seeded on various micropatterned GelMA substrates. Maturation and contractility were assessed through immunofluorescence staining, RNA-sequencing, and video-based analysis of cardiac beating.

“Highly organized cardiomyocytes have demonstrated superior contractile performance, enhanced electrical coupling, and advanced maturation,” said Zhang. “This paper highlights a significant advancement in the mechanism of directed induction of cardiomyocytes, showcasing the potential to create functionally mature and organized cardiac tissues in the lab. This has emerged as a promising approach for restoring the functionality of damaged cardiac tissues following myocardial infarction.”

Source: “GelMA micropattern enhances cardiomyocyte organization, maturation, and contraction via contact guidance,” by Bin Zhang, Yichen Luo, Xue Zhou, Lei Gao, Xiaohong Yin, and Huayong Yang, APL Bioengineering (2024). This article can be accessed at https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0182585 .