Discussion
This combination of patient-derived cardiomyocytes and 3D-bioprinting represents a promising platform for studying congenital heart disease and evaluating individualized treatment strategies.
Methods
To accomplish this, we have developed a protocol to 3D-bioprint cardiac tissue constructs comprised of patient-derived cardiomyocytes within a hydrogel bioink based on laminin-521.
Results
Cardiomyocytes remained viable and demonstrated appropriate phenotype and function including spontaneous contraction. Contraction remained consistent during 30 days of culture based on displacement measurements. Furthermore, tissue constructs demonstrated progressive maturation based on sarcomere structure and gene expression analysis. Gene expression analysis also revealed enhanced maturation in 3D constructs compared to 2D cell culture.