This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Request Permissions Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Davis, M. E. Articles by Lee, R. T. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Davis, M. E. Articles by Lee, R. T. Pubmed/NCBI databases Substance via MeSH Medline Plus Health Information Heart Diseases Related Collections Other myocardial biology Other Treatment

(Circulation Research. 2005;97:8.)
© 2005 American Heart Association, Inc.

Review

Custom Design of the Cardiac Microenvironment With Biomaterials

Michael E. Davis, Patrick C.H. Hsieh, Alan J. Grodzinsky, Richard T. Lee

From the Cardiovascular Division (M.E.D., P.C.H.H., R.T.L.), Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston; and the Division of Biological Engineering (A.J.G.), Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge.

Correspondence to Dr Richard T. Lee, Partners Research Facility, Room 279, 65 Landsdowne St, Cambridge, MA 02139 E-mail rlee{at}rics.bwh.harvard.edu

This Review is part of a thematic series on Cardiovascular Tissue Engineering, which includes the following articles:

Custom Design of the Cardiac Microenvironment With Biomaterials

Regenerative Cardiomyocytes for Cardiovascular Tissue Engineering

Engineering Myocardial Tissue

Tissue Engineering of Replacement Heart Valves

Engineering Artificial Arteries
Richard T. Lee Guest Editor

Many strategies for repairing injured myocardium are under active investigation, with some early encouraging results. These strategies include cell therapies, despite little evidence of long-term survival of exogenous cells, and gene or protein therapies, often with incomplete control of locally-delivered dose of the factor. We propose that, ultimately, successful repair and regeneration strategies will require quantitative control of the myocardial microenvironment. This precision control can be engineered through designed biomaterials that provide quantitative adhesion, growth, or migration signals. Quantitative timed release of factors can be regulated by chemical design to direct cellular differentiation pathways such as angiogenesis and vascular maturation. Smart biomaterials respond to the local environment, such as protease activity or mechanical forces, with controlled release or activation. Most of these new biomaterials provide much greater flexibility for regenerating tissues ex vivo, but emerging technologies like self-assembling nanofibers can now establish intramyocardial cellular microenvironments by injection. This may allow percutaneous cardiac regeneration and repair approaches, or injectable-tissue engineering. Finally, materials can be made to multifunction by providing sequential signals with custom design of differential release kinetics for individual factors. Thus, new rationally-designed biomaterials no longer simply coexist with tissues, but can provide precision bioactive control of the microenvironment that may be required for cardiac regeneration and repair.

Key Words: tissue engineering • biomaterials • regeneration • microenvironment

This article has been cited by other articles:

				J. Leor, S. Tuvia, V. Guetta, F. Manczur, D. Castel, U. Willenz, O. Petnehazy, N. Landa, M. S. Feinberg, E. Konen, et al. Intracoronary injection of in situ forming alginate hydrogel reverses left ventricular remodeling after myocardial infarction in Swine. J. Am. Coll. Cardiol., September 8, 2009; 54(11): 1014 - 1023. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. Yu, K. L. Christman, E. Chin, R. E. Sievers, M. Saeed, and R. J. Lee Restoration of left ventricular geometry and improvement of left ventricular function in a rodent model of chronic ischemic cardiomyopathy. J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg., January 1, 2009; 137(1): 180 - 187. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. Gnecchi, Z. Zhang, A. Ni, and V. J. Dzau Paracrine Mechanisms in Adult Stem Cell Signaling and Therapy Circ. Res., November 21, 2008; 103(11): 1204 - 1219. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				K. H. Schuleri, L. C. Amado, A. J. Boyle, M. Centola, A. P. Saliaris, M. R. Gutman, K. E. Hatzistergos, B. N. Oskouei, J. M. Zimmet, R. G. Young, et al. Early improvement in cardiac tissue perfusion due to mesenchymal stem cells Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol, May 1, 2008; 294(5): H2002 - H2011. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				N. Landa, L. Miller, M. S. Feinberg, R. Holbova, M. Shachar, I. Freeman, S. Cohen, and J. Leor Effect of Injectable Alginate Implant on Cardiac Remodeling and Function After Recent and Old Infarcts in Rat Circulation, March 18, 2008; 117(11): 1388 - 1396. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. E. Davis, P. C. H. Hsieh, T. Takahashi, Q. Song, S. Zhang, R. D. Kamm, A. J. Grodzinsky, P. Anversa, and R. T. Lee Local myocardial insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) delivery with biotinylated peptide nanofibers improves cell therapy for myocardial infarction PNAS, May 23, 2006; 103(21): 8155 - 8160. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. M. Sweitzer, S. A. Fann, T. K. Borg, J. W. Baynes, and M. J. Yost What is the future of diabetic wound care? The Diabetes Educator, March 1, 2006; 32(2): 197 - 210. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				T. Eschenhagen and W. H. Zimmermann Engineering Myocardial Tissue Circ. Res., December 9, 2005; 97(12): 1220 - 1231. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]