Flexible nanofilms coated with aligned piezoelectric microfibers preserve the contractility of cardiomyocytes

Abstract

The use of engineered cardiac tissue for high-throughput drug screening/toxicology assessment remains largely unexplored. Here we propose a scaffold that mimics aspects of cardiac extracellular matrix while preserving the contractility of cardiomyocytes. The scaffold is based on a poly(caprolactone) (PCL) nanofilm with magnetic properties (MNF, standing for magnetic nanofilm) coated with a layer of piezoelectric (PIEZO) microfibers of poly(vinylidene fluoride-trifluoroethylene) (MNF+PIEZO). The nanofilm creates a flexible support for cell contraction and the aligned PIEZO microfibers deposited on top of the nanofilm creates conditions for cell alignment and electrical stimulation of the seeded cells. Our results indicate that MNF+PIEZO scaffold promotes rat and human cardiac cell attachment and alignment, maintains the ratio of cell populations overtime, promotes cell-cell communication and metabolic maturation, and preserves cardiomyocyte (CM) contractility for at least 12 days. The engineered cardiac construct showed high toxicity against doxorubicin, a cardiotoxic molecule, and responded to compounds that modulate CM contraction such as epinephrine, propranolol and heptanol.

Piezoelectric poly(lactide) stereocomplexes with a cholinium organic ionic plastic crystal

“…These include, for example, wearable devices 47 or piezoelectric scaffolds. 48 A strong vertical piezoresponse shown in Fig. 8e suggests the great potential of PLA SCs for these applications.…”

Piezoelectric Nano‐Biomaterials for Biomedicine and Tissue Regeneration

“…Magnetoactive poly(caprolactone) (PCL) nanofilms (MNF) were prepared by dispersing superparamagnetic magnetite nanoparticles (SPIONs) and further coating with piezoactive P(VDF-TrFE) microfibers in order to simulate cardiac pacemaking of sinoatrial node cells. [47] MNF provide a flexible support for cell contraction and aligned fibers created a suitable microenvironment for cell alignment by providing electrical stimulation to seeded cells. These scaffolds promoted attachment, proliferation and alignment of rat/human cardiac cells along the fiber length without affecting the contractility of cardiomyocytes.…”

Piezoelectric materials as stimulatory biomedical materials and scaffolds for bone repair

“…Piezoelectric PVDF films and fibres have also been assessed in vivo and their suitability well demonstrated as bone substitutes [129]. Piezoelectric polymers have also been utilized as suitable coatings for existing implant materials for tissue engineering applications [130,131]. In a recent study, PVDF films were deposited on titanium sheets and poled using corona discharge to enhance the bioactivity of the surface of Ti sheets [131].…”