Human engineered cardiac tissues

Human Engineered Cardiac Tissues (HECT) are a form of biomedical engineering that involves the creation of cardiac muscle tissue in a laboratory setting. This technology has significant implications for the treatment of heart disease, cardiac tissue repair, and the development of drug testing models. HECT is a subset of tissue engineering, a field that aims to repair or replace damaged tissues or organs.

Overview

Human Engineered Cardiac Tissues are developed by culturing cardiomyocytes (heart muscle cells) derived from various sources, including adult stem cells, induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), and embryonic stem cells (ESCs). These cells are then combined with a scaffold that provides structural support, allowing them to organize into a functional cardiac tissue. The scaffold can be made from natural or synthetic materials and is designed to mimic the extracellular matrix of the heart.

Applications

HECT has several potential applications, including:

• Heart Disease Treatment: Engineered cardiac tissues can be used to replace damaged heart tissue, offering a new treatment avenue for patients with heart disease.
• Drug Discovery and Testing: HECT can be used as a model to study the effects of drugs on heart tissue, reducing the reliance on animal models and potentially speeding up the development of new treatments.
• Disease Modeling: Engineered tissues can be used to model various heart diseases, allowing researchers to study disease mechanisms and test potential treatments in a controlled environment.

Challenges

Despite its potential, the development of HECT faces several challenges:

• Cell Source: Finding a reliable source of cardiomyocytes that can be used to create HECT is a major challenge. iPSCs and ESCs offer potential solutions but come with ethical and technical hurdles.
• Scaffold Design: Developing scaffolds that accurately mimic the heart's extracellular matrix and promote cell organization and function is critical for the success of HECT.
• Vascularization: Engineering cardiac tissues with their own blood supply is essential for their survival and integration into the host heart, but remains a significant challenge.

Future Directions

Research in HECT is ongoing, with future directions including the improvement of cell sourcing methods, the development of more sophisticated scaffolds, and the creation of fully vascularized cardiac tissues. Advances in bioprinting technology may also play a key role in the future of HECT, allowing for the precise placement of cells and scaffolds to create more complex and functional cardiac tissues.

See Also

• Cardiomyocytes
• Tissue Engineering
• Stem Cell Therapy
• Regenerative Medicine