Background
Background
Regenerative medicine, which aims to restore or replace damaged tissues using the body's natural healing processes or bioengineered therapeutics, offers promising solutions but is not complete when it comes to utilizing engineered tissue for the heart. In particular, cardiac tissue engineering has emerged as a vital area of research, focusing on developing engineered heart tissues (EHTs) that replicate natural heart functions. By leveraging the heart’s intrinsic extracellular matrix (ECM), researchers are creating advanced therapeutic models that improve the differentiation and maturation of cardiomyocytes. This innovative approach has the potential to transform treatment strategies for heart disease, providing robust in vitro models and paving the way for novel therapeutic interventions.
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) causes approximately 17 million deaths annually, making it the leading cause of mortality worldwide.
CVD accounts for 30% of annual deaths, with incidence expected to increase through 2030.
In the United States, 27 million people are affected by CVD.
There is an urgent need for more effective therapies to address the growing incidence of heart disease.
Jasmeet Bhatia