SQPR 3.0: A Sensorized Bioreactor for Modulating Cardiac Phenotype

In cardiac tissue engineering, the use of bioreactors is fundamental for applying controlled mechanical stimuli on cells and recreate a physiological environment for cardiomyocyte cultures. This work is focused on the design of a sensorized Squeeze Pressure bioreactor (SQPR 3.0) able to apply a periodic contactless hydrodynamic pressure on tissue constructs. This system was then tested with H2c9, a murine cardiomyoblast cell line, to investigate the effect of different stimulation times (2 h, 24 h, 30 h) on cell shape and cardiotypic marker expression.