Maturation of functional cardiac tissue patches

Our knowledge regarding native heart development is relatively comprehensive; however, we remain largely dependent on empiricism in our approaches to recapitulate cardiomyogenesis in vitro. Toward clinical translation, it is critical that we understand how different biochemical, biophysical and biomaterial parameters of tissue culture govern the maturation and functional output of engineered myocardium, particularly when using pluripotent stem cell-based approaches. Here we review the processes of native myocardial maturation, compare them with those observed during the culture of engineered cardiac tissues, and discuss potential approaches toward promoting functional cardiomyogenesis in vitro. We conclude by offering our impressions on the important next steps. © 2014 Woodhead Publishing Limited All rights reserved.