A Review on the Biomaterials Fabricated for Cardiac Tissue Engineering Using Decellularized Extracellular Matrix

Biomaterials synthesized using a variety of polymers are extensively used in tissue engineering for the repair and regeneration of tissues, cells, and organs. Extracellular matrix is one of the ground substances that serves as an excellent choice of natural biomaterial obtained by different methods of decellularization. The decellularized tissue or organ serves as an apt material for fabrication as a scaffold since it maintains the biological components essential for function of the specific region. This acellular matrix has been used in combination with polymers for the fabrication of different types of scaffolds. It has also been used as a bioink to print the required material of desired specifications providing a three-dimensional niche for cellular growth. To enhance the efficiency of the scaffolds in cardiac repair, conductive polymers have been used that showed excellent stimuli-responsive healing. An overview of the scaffold produced from heart extracellular matrix, its application as a scaffold, nanomaterial-based scaffold, and conductive polymers used are summarized in this review.

Extracellular matrix (ECM) is an integral part of every tissue which is comprised of complex molecules. This ECM plays a vital role in maintaining the structural integrity, function and cellular communication. This ECM is cell-specific which contributes to the fate and function of the tissue, which makes it the right choice of substrate for use as a scaffold in tissue repair and regeneration. But in order to avoid immune rejection when used in therapy, it has to be devoid of antigenic agents, which is done by decellularising the ECM (dECM). This dECM obtained from cardiac tissue/cells is then suitable for use as a biomaterial in fabricating different forms of scaffolds.