Cardiomyocyte differentiation of umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells on poly(mannitol sebacate)/multi-walled carbon nanotube substrate

Myocardial infarction is one of the main causes of death worldwide. After myocardial infarction, the damaged area is typically occupied with non-contractile scar tissue owing to the limited ability of cardiac cells to proliferate. Cardiac patches can potentially restore heart function by providing sufficient electrochemical properties to the damaged area and supporting the differentiation into and proliferation of cardiac cells. In this study, we developed for the first time a poly(mannitol sebacate) (PMS) based scaffold combined with 1% (w/w)multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) to produce a biocompatible cardiac patch by the solvent casting method. We characterized the resultant PMS-MWCNT scaffold in terms of chemical, physical, mechanical and electrical properties. The PMS/MWCNT patch revealed appropriate hydrophilicity, elasticity close to that of the target tissue, and electrical conductivity suited for a cardiac patch. The cytocompatibility of the composite was confirmed by the successful attachment and proliferation of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (HUC-MSCs). The PMS/MWCNTs further contributed to the differentiation of HUC-MSCs by significant overexpression of cardiac-specific proteins, i.e. troponin T and connexin 43, in the presence of 5-azacytidine. The findings of this study could be of assistance in the use and development of PMS-based composites as cardiac patches for myocardial tissue engineering applications. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.