title: Enabling microscale and nanoscale approaches for bioengineered cardiac tissue.
abstract: In this issue of ACS Nano, Shin et al. present their finding that the addition of carbon nanotubes (CNT) in gelatin methacrylate (GelMA) results in improved functionality of bioengineered cardiac tissue. These CNT-GelMA hybrid materials demonstrate cardiac tissue with enhanced electrophysiological performance; improved mechanical integrity; better cell adhesion, viability, uniformity, and organization; increased beating rate and lowered excitation threshold; and protective effects against cardio-inhibitory and cardio-toxic drugs. In this Perspective, we outline recent progress in cardiac tissue engineering and prospects for future development. Bioengineered cardiac tissues can be used to build "heart-on-a-chip" devices for drug safety and efficacy testing, fabricate bioactuators for biointegrated robotics and reverse-engineered life forms, treat abnormal cardiac rhythms, and perhaps one day cure heart disease with tissue and organ transplants.
authors.affiliation: Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States.
authors.forename: Vincent
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: Ritu
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Raman
authors.forename: Caroline
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cvetkovic
authors.forename: Rashid
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bashir
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D009206:Myocardium / Q000166:cytology*; D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon; D023822:Tissue Engineering; D054457:Tissue Scaffolds
chemical_list: D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon