Cardiovascular 3D bioprinting: A review on cardiac tissue development

Abstract

Cardiovascular diseases such as myocardial infarction account for millions of worldwide deaths annually. Cardiovascular tissues constitute a highly organized and complex three-dimensional (3D) structure that makes them hard to fabricate in a biomimetic manner by conventional scaffold fabrication methods. 3D bioprinting has been introduced as a novel cell-based method in the last two decades due to its ability to recapitulate cell density, multicellular architecture, physiochemical environment, and vascularization of biological constructs with accurate designs. This review article aims to provide a comprehensive outlook to obtain cardiovascular functional tissues from the engineering of bioinks comprising cells, hydrogels, and biofactors to bioprinting techniques and relevant biophysical stimulations responsible for maturation and tissue-level functions. Also, cardiac tissue 3D bioprinting investigations and further discussion over its challenges and perspectives are highlighted in this review article.