2D Materials for Cardiac Tissue Repair and Regeneration

Abstract

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) have a massive impact on human health. Due to the limited regeneration capacity of adult heart tissue, CVDs are the leading cause of death and disability worldwide. Even though there are surgical and pharmacological treatments for CVDs, regenerative strategies are the most promising approaches and have the potential to benefit millions of people. As in any other tissue engineering approach, the repair and regeneration of damaged cardiac tissues generally involve scaffolds made up of biodegradable and biocompatible materials, cellular components such as stem cells, and growth factors. This review provides an overview of biomaterial-based tissue engineering approaches for CVDs with a specific focus on the potential of 2D materials. It is essential to consider both physicochemical and immunomodulatory properties for evaluating the applicability of 2D materials in cardiac tissue repair and regeneration. As new members of the 2D materials will be explored, they will quickly become part of cardiac tissue engineering technologies.

Keywords: cardiovascular disease; cardiovascular regeneration; conductive biomaterials; stem cell therapy; two-dimensional nanomaterials.

Figure 1

The potential of 2D materials for cardiac repair and regeneration. Graphene or graphene derivatives can act as scaffolds for mesenchymal stem cells and deliver growth factors to the infarcted area. This strategy can allow the regeneration of the damaged cardiac tissue.

Figure 2

2D materials can overcome the limitations of current treatment strategies in CVDs. 2D materials harbor intrinsic properties which enable their use in cardiac regeneration. They can achieve better mimicking of cardiac tissue, improve viability of transplanted cells, allow better electromechanical integration, enhance immunomodulatory activities, trace transplanted cells, and deliver growth factors.