In vitro models of human cardiac fibrotic tissue on ‘bioartificial’ scaffolds

Cardiac infarction is a global burden worldwide that leads to fibrotic and not contractile myocardial tissue. In this work, in vitro models of infarcted tissue were developed as tools to test novel therapies for cardiac regeneration in the future. Human cardiac fibroblasts were cultured on scaffolds, with different compositions and architectures, as to mimic structural and chemical features of infarcted cardiac tissue. Early findings from in vitro cell tests were reported, showing an enhancement of cell attachment and proliferation in the case of “bioartificial” scaffolds, i.e. scaffolds based on a synthetic and a bioactive polymer.