MORE | Spring 2018

Development of a Conductive Injectable Hydrogel for Cardiac Tissue Engineering.

Cardiac damage caused by myocardial infarction is irreversible due to the limited regenerative capability of cardiomyocytes. Thus, treatment is challenging. Injectable hydrogels that can accommodate cardiac cells and allow tissue formation could offer a promising strategy to repair damaged hearts. In this study, a conductive injectable hydrogel was created by incorporating gold nanowires (GNWs) into a poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAm)-gelatin based hydrogel. Cardiac cells were encapsulated, and after culturing, beating behavior of the cell-laden construct was evaluated. The effects of the addition of GNWs on the rheological behavior and electrical conductivity of the hydrogel was studied as well.