Key result
Multicellular 3D models provide physiologically relevant ex vivo systems for studying cardiac fibrosis and screening potential therapeutic molecules.
Why the study?
Ex vivo multicellular 3D modelling systems are increasingly important for simulating in vivo cardiac microenvironments, but a summary of these models for cardiac fibrosis was needed.
Multicellular 3D models, including bioprinted constructs and organs-on-chip, offer promising ex vivo platforms for studying cardiac fibrosis and screening potential therapeutic molecules.
Ex vivo multi-cell models may advance cardiac fibrosis research; leaves open clinical translation and validation.
Ex vivo modelling systems for cardiovascular research are becoming increasingly important in reducing lab animal use and boosting personalized medicine approaches. Integrating multiple cell types in complex setups adds a higher level of significance to the models, simulating the intricate intercellular communication of the microenvironment in vivo. Cardiac fibrosis represents a key pathogenetic step in multiple cardiovascular diseases, such as ischemic and diabetic cardiomyopathies. Indeed, allowing inter-cellular interactions between cardiac stromal cells, endothelial cells, cardiomyocytes, and/or immune cells in dedicated systems could make ex vivo models of cardiac fibrosis even more relevant. Moreover, culture systems with 3D architectures further enrich the physiological significance of such in vitro models. In this review, we provide a summary of the multicellular 3D models for the study of cardiac fibrosis described in the literature, such as spontaneous microtissues, bioprinted constructs, engineered tissues, and organs-on-chip, discussing their advantages and limitations. Important discoveries on the physiopathology of cardiac fibrosis, as well as the screening of novel potential therapeutic molecules, have been reported thanks to these systems. Future developments will certainly increase their translational impact for understanding and modulating mechanisms of cardiac fibrosis even further.
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Picchio et al. (2022) conducted a review in Cardiac fibrosis. Multicellular 3D models was evaluated. Multicellular 3D models provide physiologically relevant ex vivo systems for studying cardiac fibrosis and screening potential therapeutic molecules.
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