HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Personal Folders Download to citation manager Permission Requests Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Kofidis, T. Articles by Haverich, A. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Kofidis, T. Articles by Haverich, A. Related Collections Molecular biology

J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2002;124:63-69
© 2002 The American Association for Thoracic Surgery

Evolving Technology (ET)

In vitro engineering of heart muscle: Artificial myocardial tissue

From the Division of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery and Leibniz Research Laboratories for Biotechnology and Artificial Organs,^a Hannover Medical School; the Department of Clinical Pharmacology,^b University Erlangen, Germany, and the Department of Physiology,^c Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany.

This study was supported by a grant from the Hannover Medical School (HILF).

Received for publication May 9, 2001. Revisions requested Aug 22, 2001; revisions received Oct 26, 2001. Accepted for publication Nov 20, 2001. Address for reprints: T. Kofidis, MD. Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Hannover Medical School Carl Neuberg Str 1, 30625 Hannover, Germany (E-mail: kofidis{at}thg.mh-hannover.de).

Introduction: Myocardial infarction followed by heart failure represents one of the major causes of morbidity and mortality, particularly in industrialized countries. Engineering and subsequent transplantation of contractile artificial myocardial tissue and, consequently, the replacement of ischemic and infarcted areas of the heart provides a potential therapeutic alternative to whole organ transplantation.
Methods: Artificial myocardial tissue samples were engineered by seeding neonatal rat cardiomyocytes with a commercially available 3-dimensional collagen matrix. The cellular engraftment within the artificial myocardial tissues was examined microscopically. Force development was analyzed in spontaneously beating artificial myocardial tissues, after stretching, and after pharmacologic stimulation. Moreover, electrocardiograms were recorded.
Results: Artificial myocardial tissues showed continuous, rhythmic, and synchronized contractions for up to 13 weeks. Embedded cardiomyocytes were distributed equally within the 3-dimensional matrix. Application of Ca²⁺ and epinephrine, as well as electrical stimulation or stretching, resulted in enhanced force development. Electrocardiographic recording was possible on spontaneously beating artificial myocardial tissue samples and revealed physiologic patterns.
Conclusions: Using a clinically well-established collagen matrix, contractile myocardial tissue can be engineered in vitro successfully. Mechanical and biologic properties of artificial myocardial tissue resemble native cardiac tissue. Use of artificial myocardial tissues might be a promising approach to reconstitute degenerated or failing cardiac tissue in many disease states and therefore provide a reasonable alternative to whole organ transplantation.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				H. Jawad, A. R. Lyon, S. E. Harding, N. N. Ali, and A. R. Boccaccini Myocardial tissue engineering Br. Med. Bull., September 1, 2008; 87(1): 31 - 47. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. N. Morritt, S. K. Bortolotto, R. J. Dilley, X. Han, A. R. Kompa, D. McCombe, C. E. Wright, S. Itescu, J. A. Angus, and W. A. Morrison Cardiac Tissue Engineering in an In Vivo Vascularized Chamber Circulation, January 23, 2007; 115(3): 353 - 360. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				K. H. Wu, Y. L. Liu, B. Zhou, and Z. C. Han Cellular therapy and myocardial tissue engineering: the role of adult stem and progenitor cells Eur. J. Cardiothorac. Surg., November 1, 2006; 30(5): 770 - 781. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				W.-H. Zimmermann, M. Didie, S. Doker, I. Melnychenko, H. Naito, C. Rogge, M. Tiburcy, and T. Eschenhagen Heart muscle engineering: An update on cardiac muscle replacement therapy Cardiovasc Res, August 1, 2006; 71(3): 419 - 429. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				H. Naito, I. Melnychenko, M. Didie, K. Schneiderbanger, P. Schubert, S. Rosenkranz, T. Eschenhagen, and W.-H. Zimmermann Optimizing Engineered Heart Tissue for Therapeutic Applications as Surrogate Heart Muscle Circulation, July 4, 2006; 114(1_suppl): I-72 - I-78. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				I. Gruh, J. Beilner, U. Blomer, A. Schmiedl, I. Schmidt-Richter, M.-L. Kruse, A. Haverich, and U. Martin No Evidence of Transdifferentiation of Human Endothelial Progenitor Cells Into Cardiomyocytes After Coculture With Neonatal Rat Cardiomyocytes Circulation, March 14, 2006; 113(10): 1326 - 1334. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				T. Eschenhagen and W. H. Zimmermann Engineering Myocardial Tissue Circ. Res., December 9, 2005; 97(12): 1220 - 1231. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				I. A. Memon, Y. Sawa, N. Fukushima, G. Matsumiya, S. Miyagawa, S. Taketani, S. K. Sakakida, H. Kondoh, A. N. Aleshin, T. Shimizu, et al. Repair of impaired myocardium by means of implantation of engineered autologous myoblast sheets J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg., November 1, 2005; 130(5): 1333 - 1341. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				P. V. Kochupura, E. U. Azeloglu, D. J. Kelly, S. V. Doronin, S. F. Badylak, I. B. Krukenkamp, I. S. Cohen, and G. R. Gaudette Tissue-Engineered Myocardial Patch Derived From Extracellular Matrix Provides Regional Mechanical Function Circulation, August 30, 2005; 112(9_suppl): I-144 - I-149. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. Radisic, L. Yang, J. Boublik, R. J. Cohen, R. Langer, L. E. Freed, and G. Vunjak-Novakovic Medium perfusion enables engineering of compact and contractile cardiac tissue Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol, February 1, 2004; 286(2): H507 - H516. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				T. Kofidis, A. Lenz, J. Boublik, P. Akhyari, B. Wachsmann, K. Mueller Stahl, A. Haverich, and R. G. Leyh Bioartificial grafts for transmural myocardial restoration: a new cardiovascular tissue culture concept Eur. J. Cardiothorac. Surg., December 1, 2003; 24(6): 906 - 911. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]