Electrical stimulation systems for cardiac tissue engineering.
We describe a protocol for tissue engineering of synchronously contractile cardiac constructs by culturing cardiac cells with the application of pulsatile electrical fields designed to mimic those present in the native heart. Tissue culture is conducted in a customized chamber built to allow for cultivation of (i) engineered three-dimensional (3D) cardiac tissue constructs, (ii) cell monolayers on flat substrates or (iii) cells on patterned substrates. This also allows for analysis of the individual and interactive effects of pulsatile electrical field stimulation and substrate topography on cell differentiation and assembly. The protocol is designed to allow for delivery of predictable electrical field stimuli to cells, monitoring environmental parameters, and assessment of cell and tissue responses. The duration of the protocol is 5 d for two-dimensional cultures and 10 d for 3D cultures.
Tandon
Nina
N
Department of Biomedical Engineering, 622 West 168th Street, Vanderbilt Clinic 12th floor, Room 12-234, Columbia University, New York, New York 10032, USA.
Cannizzaro
Christopher
C
Chao
Pen-Hsiu Grace
PH
Maidhof
Robert
R
Marsano
Anna
A
Au
Hoi Ting Heidi
HT
Radisic
Milica
M
Vunjak-Novakovic
Gordana
G
D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D004594:Electrophysiology; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D009206:Myocardium / Q000166:cytology*; D032383:Myocytes, Cardiac / Q000502:physiology; D051381:Rats; D023822:Tissue Engineering / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*