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by Keyword: cardiomyocytes

Ordoño J, Pérez-Amodio S, Ball K, Aguirre A, Engel E, (2022). The generation of a lactate-rich environment stimulates cell cycle progression and modulates gene expression on neonatal and hiPSC-derived cardiomyocytes Biomaterials Advances 139, 213035

In situ tissue engineering strategies are a promising approach to activate the endogenous regenerative potential of the cardiac tissue helping the heart to heal itself after an injury. However, the current use of complex reprogramming vectors for the activation of reparative pathways challenges the easy translation of these therapies into the clinic. Here, we evaluated the response of mouse neonatal and human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes to the presence of exogenous lactate, thus mimicking the metabolic environment of the fetal heart. An increase in cardiomyocyte cell cycle activity was observed in the presence of lactate, as determined through Ki67 and Aurora-B kinase. Gene expression and RNA-sequencing data revealed that cardiomyocytes incubated with lactate showed upregulation of BMP10, LIN28 or TCIM in tandem with downregulation of GRIK1 or DGKK among others. Lactate also demonstrated a capability to modulate the production of inflammatory cytokines on cardiac fibroblasts, reducing the production of Fas, Fraktalkine or IL-12p40, while stimulating IL-13 and SDF1a. In addition, the generation of a lactate-rich environment improved ex vivo neonatal heart culture, by affecting the contractile activity and sarcomeric structures and inhibiting epicardial cell spreading. Our results also suggested a common link between the effect of lactate and the activation of hypoxia signaling pathways. These findings support a novel use of lactate in cardiac tissue engineering, modulating the metabolic environment of the heart and thus paving the way to the development of lactate-releasing platforms for in situ cardiac regeneration.Copyright © 2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

JTD Keywords: cardiac regeneration, cardiac tissue engineering, cell cycle, failure, growth, heart regeneration, induced pluripotent stem cells, ischemia, lactate, metabolic environment, metabolism, mouse, proliferation, repair, Bone morphogenetic protein-10, Cardiac tissue engineering, Cardiomyocytes, Cell cycle, Induced pluripotent stem cells, Lactate, Metabolic environment


López-Canosa, A, Perez-Amodio, S, Yanac-Huertas, E, Ordoño, J, Rodriguez-Trujillo, R, Samitier, J, Castaño, O, Engel, E, (2021). A microphysiological system combining electrospun fibers and electrical stimulation for the maturation of highly anisotropic cardiac tissue Biofabrication 13, 35047

The creation of cardiac tissue models for preclinical testing is still a non-solved problem in drug discovery, due to the limitations related to thein vitroreplication of cardiac tissue complexity. Among these limitations, the difficulty of mimicking the functional properties of the myocardium due to the immaturity of the used cells hampers the obtention of reliable results that could be translated into human patients.In vivomodels are the current gold standard to test new treatments, although it is widely acknowledged that the used animals are unable to fully recapitulate human physiology, which often leads to failures during clinical trials. In the present work, we present a microfluidic platform that aims to provide a range of signaling cues to immature cardiac cells to drive them towards an adult phenotype. The device combines topographical electrospun nanofibers with electrical stimulation in a microfabricated system. We validated our platform using a co-culture of neonatal mouse cardiomyocytes and cardiac fibroblasts, showing that it allows us to control the degree of anisotropy of the cardiac tissue inside the microdevice in a cost-effective way. Moreover, a 3D computational model of the electrical field was created and validated to demonstrate that our platform is able to closely match the distribution obtained with the gold standard (planar electrode technology) using inexpensive rod-shaped biocompatible stainless-steel electrodes. The functionality of the electrical stimulation was shown to induce a higher expression of the tight junction protein Cx-43, as well as the upregulation of several key genes involved in conductive and structural cardiac properties. These results validate our platform as a powerful tool for the tissue engineering community due to its low cost, high imaging compatibility, versatility, and high-throughput configuration capabilities.

JTD Keywords: bioreactor, cardiac tissue engineering, cardiomyocytes, electrospinning, fabrication, fibroblasts, heart-on-a-chip, heart-tissue, in vitro models, myocardium, orientation, platform, scaffolds, Cardiac tissue engineering, Electrospinning, Field stimulation, Heart-on-a-chip, In vitro models, Microphysiological system


Puiggali-Jou, A, Ordoño, J, del Valle, LJ, Pérez-Amodio, S, Engel, E, Alemán, C, (2021). Tuning multilayered polymeric self-standing films for controlled release of L-lactate by electrical stimulation Journal Of Controlled Release 330, 669-683

© 2020 Elsevier B.V. We examine different approaches for the controlled release of L-lactate, which is a signaling molecule that participates in tissue remodeling and regeneration, such as cardiac and muscle tissue. Robust, flexible, and self-supported 3-layers films made of two spin-coated poly(lactic acid) (PLA) layers separated by an electropolymerized poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) layer, are used as loading and delivery systems. Films with outer layers prepared using homochiral PLA and with nanoperforations of diameter 146 ± 70 experience more bulk erosion, which also contributes to the release of L-lactic acid, than those obtained using heterochiral PLA and with nanoperforations of diameter 66 ± 24. Moreover, the release of L-lactic acid as degradation product is accelerated by applying biphasic electrical pulses. The four approaches used for loading extra L-lactate in the 3-layered films were: incorporation of L-lactate at the intermediate PEDOT layer as primary dopant agent using (1) organic or (2) basic water solutions as reaction media; (3) substitution at the PEDOT layer of the ClO4− dopant by L-lactate using de-doping and re-doping processes; and (4) loading of L-lactate at the outer PLA layers during the spin-coating process. Electrical stimuli were applied considering biphasic voltage pulses and constant voltages (both negative and positive). Results indicate that the approach used to load the L-lactate has a very significant influence in the release regulation process, affecting the concentration of released L-lactate up to two orders of magnitude. Among the tested approaches, the one based on the utilization of the outer layers for loading, approach (4), can be proposed for situations requiring prolonged and sustained L-lactate release over time. The biocompatibility and suitability of the engineered films for cardiac tissue engineering has also been confirmed using cardiac cells.

JTD Keywords: biphasic voltage pulse, cardiac tissue regeneration, cardiomyocytes proliferation, conducting polymer, nanoperforated films, sustained delivery, Biphasic voltage pulse, Cardiac tissue regeneration, Cardiomyocytes proliferation, Conducting polymer, Nanoperforated films, Sustained delivery