Construction and vascularization of tissue-engineered sinus node in cardiac tissue engineering / 中国组织工程研究

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: As in theory tissue-engineered sinus node can establish a new pacemaker in vivo when implanted into the human body, it is a promising treatment for sick sinus syndrome. But this method is immature and needs to be explored in depth. OBJECTIVE: To overview the different construction methods of tissue-engineered sinus node, and the research progress of vascularization in cardiac tissue engineering. METHODS: A computer-based retrieval in PubMed and CNKI databases was performed by the first author to search related papers published from 1984 to 2016 using the keywords of vascularize, tissue engineering, sinus node in English and Chinese, respectively. We summarized the construction methods of tissue-engineered sinus node and importance of vascularization in cardiac tissue engineering. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Sinus node cells, bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells, adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells and embryonic stem cells can be used as seed cells. There are a variety of materials used for constructing tissue-engineered scaffolds, among which, collagen is the best choice. Three-dimensional printing technology and cell-sheet techbology make it possible to construct and transplant tissue-engineered sinus node. The early blood supply is the key for the successful sinus node transplantation. However, the vascularized tissue-engineered sinus node has not yet been reported. Endothelial progenitor cells can promote angiogenesis, but further explorations are warranted as there are some existing defects.