title: Electrically conductive gold nanoparticle-chitosan thermosensitive hydrogels for cardiac tissue engineering.
abstract: Injectable hydrogels that resemble electromechanical properties of the myocardium are crucial for cardiac tissue engineering prospects. We have developed a facile approach that uses chitosan (CS) to generate a thermosensitive conductive hydrogel with a highly porous network of interconnected pores. Gold nanoparticles (GNPs) were evenly dispersed throughout the CS matrix in order to provide electrical cues. The gelation response and electrical conductivity of the hydrogel were controlled by different concentrations of GNPs. The CS-GNP hydrogels were seeded with mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and cultivated for up to 14 days in the absence of electrical stimulations. CS-GNP scaffolds supported viability, metabolism, migration and proliferation of MSCs along with the development of uniform cellular constructs. Immunohistochemistry for early and mature cardiac markers showed enhanced cardiomyogenic differentiation of MSCs within the CS-GNP compared to the CS matrix alone. The results of this study demonstrate that incorporation of nanoscale electro-conductive GNPs into CS hydrogels enhances the properties of myocardial constructs. These constructs could find utilization for regeneration of other electroactive tissues.
authors.affiliation: Department of Stem Cells and Developmental Biology, Cell Science Research Center, Royan Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Technology, ACECR, Tehran, Iran; Cardiovascular Engineering Laboratory, Faculty of Biomedical Engineering, Amirkabir University of Technology (Tehran Polytechnic), Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Payam
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Baei
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedicine and Surgery, University Hospital Basel, University of Basel, Hebelstrasse 20, CH-4031 Basel, Switzerland; Department of Bioengineeringand IBB - Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal.
authors.forename: Sasan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jalili-Firoozinezhad
authors.affiliation: Department of Stem Cells and Developmental Biology, Cell Science Research Center, Royan Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Technology, ACECR, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Sareh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rajabi-Zeleti
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Engineering Laboratory, Faculty of Biomedical Engineering, Amirkabir University of Technology (Tehran Polytechnic), Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Mohammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tafazzoli-Shadpour
authors.affiliation: Department of Stem Cells and Developmental Biology, Cell Science Research Center, Royan Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Technology, ACECR, Tehran, Iran; Department of Developmental Biology, University of Science and Culture, ACECR, Tehran, Iran. Electronic address: Baharvand@royaninstitute.org.
authors.forename: Hossein
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Baharvand
authors.affiliation: Department of Stem Cells and Developmental Biology, Cell Science Research Center, Royan Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Technology, ACECR, Tehran, Iran. Electronic address: Nasser.Aghdami@royaninstitute.org.
authors.forename: Nasser
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Aghdami
mesh_terms: D001854:Bone Marrow Cells / Q000166:cytology; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D048271:Chitosan / Q000737:chemistry*; D004553:Electric Conductivity; D006046:Gold / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D020100:Hydrogels / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology; D059630:Mesenchymal Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D053768:Metal Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry*; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D012212:Rheology; D017550:Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared; D023822:Tissue Engineering
chemical_list: D020100:Hydrogels; D006046:Gold; D048271:Chitosan
keywords: Cardiac tissue engineering; Chitosan; Electrical conductivity; Gold nanoparticles; Thermosensitive hydrogel