Cardiac tissue engineering

In this review, we will discuss the current developments in the field of cardiac tissue engineering, with a focus on the studies over the past 5 years. The key advances in cardiac tissue engineering include the generation of human cardiomyocytes from embryonic stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells, the development of biomaterials that have native tissue-matched mechanical properties, embedded topographical cues and angiogenic factors, as well as the application of physiologic conditions such as perfusion, electrical stimulation and mechanical stretching during cultivation. We will also provide an overview of the recent vascularization approaches applied to cardiac tissue engineering that yielded functional cardiac tissues with physiologically relevant thickness and cell density.

► A review of recent developments in cardiac tissue engineering over the past 5 years. ► Generation of human cardiomyocytes from ESCs and iPSCs provides viable cell source. ► Biomaterials mimic native heart, with decellularized hearts as promising scaffolds. ► Bioreactors provide biomimetic conditions for proper cardiac cell assembly. ► Vascularization strategies can overcome diffusion limitations in engineered tissues.