3D Bioprinting Technology - One Step Closer Towards Cardiac Tissue Regeneration

Cardiovascular diseases are one of the leading causes of death across the globe. Heart transplantation has been used for end stage heart failure patients. However, due to the lack of donors, this treatment option usually depends on multiple variables and the result varies due to immunological issues. 3D bioprinting is an emerging approach for in vitro generation of functional cardiac tissues for drug screening and cardiac regenerative therapy. There are different techniques such as extrusion, inkjet, or laser-based 3D printing that integrate multiple cell lines with different scaffolds for the construction of complex 3D structures. In this review, we discussed the recent progress and challenges in 3D bioprinting strategies for cardiac tissue engineering, including cardiac patches, in vitro cardiac models, valves, and blood vessels.

Automated summary

Cardiovascular diseases are a leading cause of death globally. Heart transplantation is a common treatment for patients with end stage heart failure. However, due to the limited availability of donors, the success of heart transplantation depends on various factors and can be affected by immunological issues. 3D bioprinting is an emerging technique for generating functional cardiac tissues in vitro, which can be used for drug screening and cardiac regenerative therapy.