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Create an engineered conduction tissue by seeding cardiac progenitor cells on gelatin foam
Author(s) -
Zhang Chuansen,
Zhang Xi,
Yang Xiangqun
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.26.1_supplement.454.5
Subject(s) - gelatin , progenitor cell , coupling (piping) , microbiology and biotechnology , biomedical engineering , connexin , stem cell , materials science , scaffold , tissue engineering , biophysics , gap junction , chemistry , medicine , biology , biochemistry , intracellular , metallurgy
CompleteAV conduction block is typically treated by implanting an electronicpacemaker device; however, long‐term pacing therapy in pediatricpatients has significant complications. In this study, an engineered conduction tissue seeded with cardiac progenitor cells were implanted in rat hearts to create an alternative AV conduction pathway. The engineered conduction tissue was created by seeding cardiac progenitor cells on gelatin foam and exhibited sustained electrical coupling through persistent expression and function of gap junction proteins and pacemaker genes. Cardiac progenitor cells in the constructs were shown to survive in the hearts and the coupling of grafted cells with host cardiomyocytes was shown. Our experiments suggest the possibility that engineered tissue constructs can function as an electrical conduit and, ultimately, may offer a substitute treatment to conventional pacing therapy.