Tissue Engineering Techniques for Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell Derived Three-Dimensional Cardiac Constructs

Recent developments in applied developmental physiology have provided well-defined methodologies for producing human stem cell derived cardiomyocytes. The cardiomyocytes produced have become commonplace as cardiac physiology research models. Accessibility has also allowed for the development of tissue engineered human heart constructs for drug screening, surgical intervention, and investigating cardiac pathogenesis. However, cardiac tissue engineering is an interdisciplinary field that involves complex engineering and physiological concepts, which limits its accessibility. Our review provides a readable, broad reaching, and thorough discussion of major factors to consider for the development of cardiovascular tissues from stem cell derived cardiomyocytes. In this study, our review will examine important considerations in undertaking a cardiovascular tissue engineering project and will present, interpret, and summarize some of the recent advancements in this field. Throughout, we review different forms of tissue engineered constructs, a discussion on cardiomyocyte sources, and an in-depth discussion of the fabrication and maturation procedures for tissue engineered heart constructs. With advancements in cardiac differentiation protocols, the production of human induced pluripotent stem cell derived cardiomyocytes is becoming cost effective and routine in the laboratory setting. Monolayer based culture methods are rapidly being replaced by three-dimensional (3D) tissue engineered constructs, which are more representative of the heart geometry. In the review presented, we delve into important concepts and tissue engineering principles that should be considered when generating 3D cardiac constructs, interpreting data acquired from, and embarking on a 3D cardiac tissue-based research project.