Bioprinted optoelectronically active cardiac tissues

There are various technical and efficacy challenges with the current bioprinted cardiac tissue models. 

The researchers in this study use an optoelectronically active scaffold based on printed gelatin methacryloyl-embedded with micro-solar cells, seeded with cardiomyocytes to form light-stimulable tissues.

This platform does not require wires or genetic modifications to the tissue and could be stimulated optoelectronically and hence non-invasive.

Pulsed light stimulation could increase cardiomyocyte beating rates(>40%), maintain high cell viability under light stimulation (>96%), and negligibly affect the electrocardiogrammorphology. They were able to successfully accelerate heart beating in vivo in rats.

https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adt7210

https://sciencemission.com/Bioprinted-active-cardiac-tissues