Abstract

3D Printing For Cardiovascular Disease Application

Sara Abdollahi, Researcher, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

Heart attack can lead to necrosis of myocardial tissue. Stem-cell therapy is an emerging strategy that involves the injection of cardiac progenitor cells to encourage tissue regrowth. However, ongoing trials have showed that the efficacy of this technique is limited and the retention rate of the delivered cells is poor. Cardiac tissue engineering includes the use of cells with biomaterials and signaling molecules to regenerate damaged heart tissue. Herein we present ongoing efforts to optimize cardiac and vascular tissue engineering approaches toward commercial and clinical applications. This includes utilization of additive manufacturing to systematize the process and create patient-matched therapies. These approaches have implications for the treatment of cardiovascular disease and precision medicine.