Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
injured myocardium, the grafts did not improve cardiac function.
Moreover, Sakai et al. also developed a beating patch by seeding rat
cardiomyocytes in a gelatin sponge scaffold [38]. The cellular gelatin
sponges were employed to replace a surgically created defect in the
RVOT of rats. Twelve weeks after replacement, the gelatin structure
of the patches disappeared completely; however, the cells survived
in the patched area. On the other hand, Hamdi et al.
demonstrated
that a human skeletal myoblast-seeded gelatin sponge implanted in
the infarcted area of a rat MI model resulted in the recovery of LV
function and the reduction of fibrosis and angiogenesis one month
after implantation [39].
5a.4.5 Fibrin
Fibrin is a biological polymer formed during the hemostatic
coagulation process by combining fibrinogen and thrombin under
the catalysis of calcium ions. Fibrin gel is biodegradable and nontoxic,
so it is used clinically for a surgical sealant. Liu et al. fabricated a
fibrin-based patch that included autologous bone marrow-derived
MSCs for delivery into an infarcted myocardium to improve LV
function and prevent LV aneurysm formation using a swine model of
hearts with acute MI [40]. The MSC-fibrin patches were implanted
directly onto areas of MI. The implanted MSCs differentiated into
cells with myocyte-like characteristics and showed a robust increase
of neovascularization in transplanted hearts, which resulted in an
improvement of cardiac function. Moreover, Xiong et al. examined
the functional improvement of combined transplantation of human
ESC-derived ECs and SMCs using the same fibrin-based cell delivery
system in a swine model of acute MI under immunosuppressive
treatment [41]. The fibrin patch delivery of these ESC-derived
vascular cells resulted in significant cell engraftment, reduction
of infarct size, and increase of neovascularization in the infarcted
heart, which resulted in an improvement of LV function.
5a.4.6
Decelleularized Tissue Matrices
ECMs derived from natural tissues such as the small intestine, urinary
bladder, pericardium, and heart (myocardium), are also utilized
for biologic scaffold materials to create 3D tissue constructs. The
SIS is obtained by removing the mucosa, serosa, and muscle layers
