Cardiac Tissue Engineering on the Nanoscale

Abstract

In recent years, the fabrication of smart materials at an arbitrary gauge has attracted enormous interest from researchers in the tissue engineering (TE) field. This potential tool has been utilized for the generation of various biomimetic/bioinspired structures to repair and improve the performance of the injured tissues. Cardiac TE is one of them that offers immense benefits in treating various cardiovascular diseases, such as myocardial infarction (MI). Currently, various nanoparticles have been utilized alone or by incorporating them in hydrogels or other biomimetic scaffolds to mimic the morphological and electrophysiological characteristics of native cardiac tissue for a better regenerative outcome. Herein, we aim to give a brief overview, which provides an emphasis and discussion of the latest reports on these innovative nanoconstructs intended for cardiac TE. Finally, we summarize the existing challenges and prospects of the cardiac TE field.

Keywords: biomaterials; hydrogels; myocardial infarction; nanoparticles; tissue regeneration.