Recent research progress in construction of biomimetic engineered cardiac tissue based on extracellular matrix / 中国组织工程研究

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Patches, powders and hydrogels fabricated from extracellular matrix and its components can be used as scaffolds, along with a variety of stem cells and their derivatives, to construct biomimetic engineered cardiac tissue. OBJECTIVE: To review research progress in construction of biomimetic engineered cardiac tissue based on extracellular matrix. METHODS: We searched the articles in Web of Science Core Collection and PubMed databases with the key words of “the extracellular matrix; engineered cardiac tissue; cardiomyocyte; biomimetic; stem cell” in English. Eventually 64 articles were included for review. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Compared with the traditional synthetic materials, the extracellular matrix has good biocompatibility and cell affinity, which can provide seed cells with the closest living environment, and is conducive to the growth, differentiation and maturation of seed cells. A great number of research evidences suggest that the biomimetic engineered cardiac tissue based on extracellular matrix and stem cells has the characteristics of excitability, contractility and conductivity similar to the natural myocardial tissue. It also can repair the damaged myocardium, reshape the microvascular system and effectively improve cardiac function, showing the potential to treat cardiovascular diseases such as myocardial infarction. However, there are still some problems in the construction of biomimetic engineered cardiac tissue based on extracellular matrix, such as the structural damage during decellularization, the relatively slow development of seed cell morphology and function.