Using cell-seeded electrospun patch for myocardial injury: in-vitro and in rat model

Electrospinning has been widely used to fabricate scaffolds and commonly used biodegradable polymers. Cellular cardiomyoplasty is a type of regenerative medicine that has potential use for treatment of myocardial infarction or terminal cardiac failure. The aims of this study are to use electrospinning to create cardiovascular patches and to assess their potential therapeutic use by transplantation into the hearts of rats. Tissue engineering scaffolds were generated by use of electrospinning, in which the fibers consist of nanoscale-to-microscale fibers whose diameters are comparable to those of essential components of the extracellular matrix. A polymer solution was pumped at a constant rate through a syringe with a small-diameter needle that is connected to a high-voltage source, so that an electric field is created between the needle and a metallic collecting plate. The final product is a mat composed of individual continuous nanofibers. Cell survival, cell characteristics, and growth factors of electrospun patches of different thicknesses using bone marrow and human cardiac stem cells were tested. The results demonstrated that the cells can survive in Poly-caprolactone (PCL) patches, even deep within these patches. The PCL patches are nontoxic and do not alter cell properties. Transplantation of these patches into the hearts of a rat model of myocardial infarction led to strong compliance and good survival.The use of PCL cellular patches is feasible method for cellular transplantation. Future studies should attempt to use orientated electrospun cellular patches to improve overall cell survival within deeper layers of these patches.