Cell Therapy and 3D Regenerative Tissue to Remodel Heart Failure

Heart failure (HF) remains the major cause of morbidity and mortality in the world with an alarming rapid rise in heart diseases. Myocardial infarction (MI), depriving of blood flow to the heart muscle, causes myocardial necrosis and apoptosis resulting in decrease of myocardial quantity and ventricular remodeling, which is the main cause of HF. As mature cardiomyocytes (CMs) are incapable of differentiation and proliferation, cardiomyocytes damage is not likely to be reversed. Recent research has advanced to the point where damaged CMs or myocardium can be repaired by exogenous cells or artificial tissue. This review provides the most up-to-date information on the current status of cell therapy and tissue three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting for the treatment of HF. Requirements on 3D printing of biomaterials will be provided including biophysical properties, biocompatibility and biodegradable absorption in vivo that are key factors on the survival and proliferation of transplanted cells in the MI area. Also discussed are the current challenges in cell-based HF therapies and future perspectives in clinical applications.