Cardiac Tissue Constructions and Methods for Fabrication

The Cardiac Tissue Constructions and Methods Market is expected to experience strong growth during the forecast period, driven by increasing demand for bioartificial human heart muscle for disease modeling and drug testing.

Construction of cardiac tissue engineered (cTE) constructs has been explored using various techniques, from tissue slices to monolayers and 3D aggregates of cardiac cells. Unfortunately, preservation methods for cTE tissue have yet to be perfected for whole organ generation.

Market Segmentation

Over the last few years, the market for cardiac tissue constructions and fabrication methods has experienced remarkable growth. This is largely attributed to an increasing need for improved patient outcomes in regenerative medicine, leading to the development of novel technologies and materials designed to facilitate tissue engineering.

Biomaterials are essential for successful tissue reconstruction and regeneration in the cardiac arena. Not only do they stimulate tissue formation by supporting cell-to-tissue interactions, but they can also promote proliferation and differentiation. Furthermore, these scaffolds can create cellular adhesion spaces while increasing ECM secretion, revascularization, and paracrine processes.

Biomaterials have been investigated for use in tissue engineering environments, such as hydrogels and 3D nanofiber matrices. These materials offer various benefits, such as controlled release of growth factors and excellent electrical conductivity.

Biomaterials used in tissue engineering are typically either synthesized or modified from primary natural materials. Popular examples include polyglycolic acid (PGA), poly(L-lactic acid) (PLA), polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) and hyaluronic acid.

Recently, however, some cutting-edge synthetic materials have been demonstrated to outperform more traditional ones when it comes to cellular adhesion, micro and nanoscale architecture, regenerative properties and electronic conductivity.

In addition to materials, there are also many interdisciplinary emerging technologies that have the potential to propel our field forward in novel and exciting ways. Some of these innovations include cell reprogramming, genome editing and biochip design, machine learning and precision control for improved construct fabrication processes as well as tissue-specific clonal selections.

Market Trends

The market for Cardiac Tissue Constructions and Methods of Fabrication is anticipated to experience significant growth over the forecast period. This can be attributed to an aging population, increased awareness about cardiac diseases and congenital heart disorders, rising medical tourism, as well as minimally invasive surgical procedures becoming more popular. Furthermore, an increasing number of hernia disorders, increased alcohol consumption/smoking habits, as well as an increasing demand for soft tissue repair patches are further fueling market expansion.

In addition to these, a range of biomaterials for tissue engineering has been developed. These include synthetic materials derived from polyglycolic acid (PGA), polylactic acid (PLGA), and polyvinyl alcohol that can be tailored to meet the desired morphology and properties.

However, in order to create functional and regenerative tissues, scaffolding must provide an environment which facilitates cell attachment, alignment, adsorption, growth and proliferation. To do this, scaffolding materials must have biological composition and structure similar to the native cardiac extracellular matrix (ECM). The ECM is a complex protein network consisting of many biomolecules including proteins and lipids; it plays an essential role in many biological functions such as adsorption, transport insulation insulation and mechanical stiffness.

Many techniques have been employed to induce cardiac cell alignment, such as topographical patterning (micro- and nano-grooves, aligned nanofibers), chemical treatment with cell-adhesive or repellent chemicals, controlled stress/strain conditions and a combination thereof. Scaffolding has the greatest advantage because it enables cardiomyocytes to form mature contractile phenotypes and communicate with adjacent cells – essential elements in regenerative cardiac repair [12, 15].

Although many scaffolding technologies have been created, they still require refinement. A novel approach involves electrospinning to construct tissue-like scaffolds that enable cardiomyocytes to adhere and grow on them. This method produces a high yield of mature cardiomyocytes while cutting costs and increasing biofabrication efficiency.

Other specialized biomaterials are being employed to construct scaffolds that mimic cardiac tissue, such as silk and polyhydroxyalkanoates from bacterial fermentation. These biomaterials boast excellent strength and stiffness, making them ideal for tissue reconstruction or regeneration.

Market Opportunities

The market for Cardiac tissue constructions and methods for fabrication presents many opportunities for companies to develop and launch products that can assist in the treatment of heart disease. This segment includes technologies and solutions that focus on cell-based therapies and interdisciplinary advances in genetic engineering, material engineering, biochip design, and biofabrication.

Cardiac tissue engineering (TE) focuses on the development of cellular and molecular approaches to generate clinically relevant human cardiac tissues from stem cells. These techniques are based on the principles of biology and physics, which include cell-cell adhesion and growth, proliferation and differentiation, and morphogenesis.

TE is essential for the treatment of various cardiovascular diseases, such as coronary artery disease, stroke and congestive heart failure. It requires the generation of CMs from hiPSC-derived cells or alternative cell sources such as cardiac fibroblasts, endothelial cells (ECs) and muscle cells. However, CMs are difficult to culture in vitro because of their low cell turnover rates and post-mitotic nature.

To overcome this challenge, researchers have developed several strategies for the growth of CMs in a biomimetic environment. These include culturing CMs in 3D scaffolds, in flexible posts, and in a coculture system with other cell types. This strategy can help induce a greater proportion of mature CMs and improve their performance, particularly in the area of pacing.

In addition, biomimetic tissue constructs can be fabricated using microfabrication techniques such as photolithography and soft lithography. These methods enable the production of complex shapes that resemble the microarchitecture of the heart and its vasculature.

These methods are useful in the regenerative medicine field because they can a) produce biomaterials that closely mimic the native materials of the human body and b) enhance tissue-cell interaction, growth, and regeneration. For instance, a microfabrication method for fabricating nano-scaffolds based on self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of polymers has recently been used to create collagen-like structures that increase CM adhesion and cell-cell interactions in an iPSC-derived CM line [149].

These methods are highly promising because they provide a safe and efficient way for the generation of cardiac tissue from hiPSC-derived cells or other stem cells. They also allow for the optimization of scaffold geometry, cellular paracrine factors and cellular communication in order to maximize survival rates and completely functionalize engineered cardiac tissues.

Market Forecasts

The market for cardiac tissue constructions and methods of fabrication are expected to experience rapid growth over the coming years, driven by an increase in cardiovascular diseases such as heart failure, stroke, angina, as well as an aging population. These factors are driving demand for cardiac patches which help repair congenital heart defects and restore heart structure.

The global cardiac patch market is expected to reach USD 3.45 billion by 2022, expanding at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.4% from 2019 until 2030. Furthermore, the growing demand for regenerative tissue repair patches in treatment procedures is anticipated to fuel this growth in demand.

Technologies such as electrospinning, laser-based microfabrication, 3D patterning, printer-deposited spheroids and biochip design can all be utilized for fabricating cardiac tissue in different ways. These methods have several benefits such as tailoring cellular architecture to specific biological functions, controlling cell attachment and migration and creating tissue with tunable properties.

These interdisciplinary approaches have enabled major breakthroughs in tissue engineering for cardiac diseases. Examples include using biomimetic scaffolds to differentiate hiPSCs and CMs, as well as controlling their growth and maturation with genome editing techniques. Furthermore, machine learning has opened the door to numerous applications within this domain such as data analysis and grouping patients based on similar patterns or trends.

Cardiomyocytes (CMs) are the building blocks of cardiac tissue and play an integral role in heart function. Unfortunately, CMs can become damaged or nonviable due to genetic mutation, environmental factors or ageing; thus developing new therapies based on CMs for repair is a major challenge in cardiac tissue engineering.

Alternatively, using engineered tissue-like substrates for cell differentiation and expansion is another promising approach to consider. This would provide insight into how CMs communicate with their microenvironment, potentially leading to the creation of biomimetic scaffolds for cardiac tissue engineering applications.