title: Engineering 3D bio-artificial heart muscle: the acellular ventricular extracellular matrix model.
abstract: Current therapies in left ventricular systolic dysfunction and end-stage heart failure include mechanical assist devices or transplant. The development of a tissue-engineered integrative platform would present a therapeutic option that overcomes the limitations associated with current treatment modalities. This study provides a foundation for the fabrication and preliminary viability of the acellular ventricular extracellular matrix (AVEM) model. Acellular ventricular extracellular matrix was fabricated by culturing 4 million rat neonatal cardiac cells around an excised acellular ventricular segment. Acellular ventricular extracellular matrix generated a maximum spontaneous contractile force of 388.3 μN and demonstrated a Frank-Starling relationship at varying pretensions. Histologic assessment displayed cell cohesion and adhesion within the AVEM as a result of passive cell seeding.
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Biomedical Engineering, Cullen College of Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas.
authors.forename: Nikita M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Patel
authors.forename: Ze-Wei
authors.initials: ZW
authors.lastname: Tao
authors.forename: Mohamed A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Mohamed
authors.forename: Matt K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Hogan
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gutierrez
authors.forename: Ravi K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Birla
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001705:Bioprosthesis; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques; D005109:Extracellular Matrix / Q000502:physiology*; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000166:cytology; D006354:Heart, Artificial; D009200:Myocardial Contraction; D032383:Myocytes, Cardiac / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D012038:Regeneration; D023822:Tissue Engineering / Q000379:methods*; D054457:Tissue Scaffolds; D016276:Ventricular Function