title: Cardiac tissue engineering using perfusion bioreactor systems.
abstract: This protocol describes tissue engineering of synchronously contractile cardiac constructs by culturing cardiac cell populations on porous scaffolds (in some cases with an array of channels) and bioreactors with perfusion of culture medium (in some cases supplemented with an oxygen carrier). The overall approach is 'biomimetic' in nature as it tends to provide in vivo-like oxygen supply to cultured cells and thereby overcome inherent limitations of diffusional transport in conventional culture systems. In order to mimic the capillary network, cells are cultured on channeled elastomer scaffolds that are perfused with culture medium that can contain oxygen carriers. The overall protocol takes 2-4 weeks, including assembly of the perfusion systems, preparation of scaffolds, cell seeding and cultivation, and on-line and end-point assessment methods. This model is well suited for a wide range of cardiac tissue engineering applications, including the use of human stem cells, and high-fidelity models for biological research.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Milica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Radisic
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Marsano
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Maidhof
authors.forename: Yadong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Gordana
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Vunjak-Novakovic
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D019149:Bioreactors; D006801:Humans; D009206:Myocardium / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D023822:Tissue Engineering / Q000379:methods*; D054457:Tissue Scaffolds