CHAPTER 11: Applications of Magnetic-Responsive Materials for Cardiovascular Tissue Engineering

Cardiovascular tissue engineering (CTE) aims to provide regenerative solutions in the creation of contractile and vascularized tissues capable of replacing damaged or dysfunctional myocardium. Additionally, CTE aims to offer cell-based strategies to regenerate injured arteries and heal vascular lesions, mitigating the complications of an obstructive coronary vascular disease, the key factor leading to an acute myocardial infarction and heart failure. Magnetic-responsive biomaterials in the form of scaffolds or nanoparticles offer unique opportunities to create stimulatory conditions or means for efficient cell delivery, as a part of multi-component microenvironment promoting tissue development and regeneration in vitro and in vivo. This chapter will discuss strategies and principles that leverage the unique properties of magnetic materials, enabling the creation of functional and vascularized tissue constructs, generating directionally-guided tissue structures, and forming physical means for efficient delivery, homing and engraftment of cell-based therapies in cardiovascular applications.