Biocompatibility and application of carbon fibres in heart valve tissue engineering
File(s)
Accepted version
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
The success of tissue engineered heart valves relies on a balance between polymer degradation, appropriate cell repopulation and ECM deposition, in order for the valves to continue their vital function. However, the process of remodelling is highly dynamic and species dependent. Carbon fibres have been well used in the construction industry for their high tensile strength and flexibility, and therefore might be relevant to support tissue engineered hearts valve during this transition in the mechanically demanding environment of the circulation. The aim of this study was to assess the suitability of carbon fibres to be incorporated into tissue engineered heart valves, with respect to optimising their cellular interaction and mechanical flexibility during valve opening and closure. The morphology and surface oxidation of the carbon fibres was characterised by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Their ability to interact with human adipose derived stem cells (hADSCs) was assessed with respect to cell attachment and phenotypic changes. hADSCs attached and maintained their expression of stem cell markers with negligible differentiation to other lineages. Incorporation of carbon fibres into a stand-alone tissue engineered aortic root, comprised of jet-sprayed poly-caprolactone aligned fibres had no negative effects on the opening and closure characteristics of the valve when simulated in a pulsatile bioreactor. In conclusion, carbon fibres were found to be conducive to hADSC attachment and maintaining their phenotype. Carbon fibres were sufficiently flexible for full motion of valvular opening and closure. This study provides a proof of concept for the incorporation of carbon fibres into tissue engineered heart valves to continue their vital function during scaffold degradation.
Date Issued
2021-12-01
Date Acceptance
2021-11-29
Citation
Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine, 2021, 8
ISSN
2297-055X
Publisher
Frontiers Media
Journal / Book Title
Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine
Volume
8
Copyright Statement
© 2021 Tseng, Grace, Aguib, Sarathchandra, McCormack, Ebeid, Shehata, Nagy, El-Nashar, Yacoub, Chester and Latif. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
License URL
Identifier
http://frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcvm.2021.793898/full
Subjects
adipose-derived stem cells
biocompatibility
biomaterials
carbon fibers
composite
heart valve
tissue engineering
Publication Status
Published