stem cell research has obtained much prominence in recent years for its therapeutic potential in dealing with serious diseases, many of which are essentially incurable by routine therapies. mesenchymal stem cells with pluripotency and immunomodulatory properties are suitable candidates for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. today, nanofibrous scaffolds are widely used in tissue engin...

human adipose tissue represents an abundant, practical and appealing source of donor tissue for autologous cell replacement. recent findings have shown that stem cells within the stromalvascular fraction of adipose tissue display a multilineage developmental potential. adipose tissue-derived stem cells can be differentiated towards adipogenic, osteogenic, chondrogenic,myogenic and neurogenic li...

Cardiac tissue regeneration is an integrated process involving both cells and supporting matrix. Cardiomyocytes and stem cells are utilized to regenerate cardiac tissue. Hydrogels, because of their tissue-like properties, have been used as supporting matrices to deliver cells into infarcted cardiac muscle. Bioactive and biocompatible hydrogels mimicking biochemical and biomechanical microenviro...

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are a leading death cause in developed countries (1 of every 3 deaths in the United States in 2008) [1]. Changes in diet and habits are causing CVD to become major mortality pathologies in developing countries too [2] (they are already responsible for a 30% of the world deaths). This group of diseases constitutes a great burden for the national health systems, cons...

Cardiac failure is a critical condition that results in life-threatening consequences. Due to a limited number of organ donors, tissue engineering has emerged to generate functional tissue constructs and provide an alternative mean to repair and regenerate damaged heart tissues. In this paper, we review the emerging directions associated with cardiac tissue engineering approaches. In particular...