Improving rodents and humans cardiac cell maturity in vitro through polycaprolactone and polyurethane nanofibers

Abstract

Currently, numerous studies are conducted using nanofibers as a scaffold for culture cardiac cells; however, there still needs to be more research evaluating the impact of the physicochemical properties of polymer nanofibers on the structure and function of cardiac cells. We have studied how poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) and polyurethane (PU) nanofibrous mats with different physicochemical properties influence the viability, morphology, orientation, and maturation of cardiac cells. For this purpose, the cells taken from different species were used. They were rat ventricular cardiomyoblasts (H9c2), mouse atrial cardiomyocytes (HL-1), and human ventricular cardiomyocytes (HCM). Based on the results, it can be concluded that cardiac cells cultured on nanofibers exhibit greater maturity in terms of orientation, morphology, and gene expression levels compared to cells cultured on polystyrene plates (PS). Additionally, the physicochemical properties of nanofibers affecting the functionality of cardiac cells from different species and different parts of the heart were evaluated. These studies can support research on understanding and explaining mechanisms leading to cellular maturity present in the heart and the selection of nanofibers that will effectively help the maturation of cardiomyocytes.

Maturation of human cardiomyocytes derived from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC-CMs) on polycaprolactone and polyurethane nanofibrous mats

“…Previous study has noted that depending on the biomaterial, different maturation mechanisms are induced in cardiac cells isolated from the ventricle and atrium 54 . According to the literature, ventricle cells require more elastic biomaterials like PCL, while atrial cardiomyocytes require more stiffness materials such as PU.…”