ABSTRACT
In the effort to create cardiac tissue in vitro which closely mimics the structural and functional properties of native myocardium, cardiac tissue engineering needs to re-create the complex environment found in vivo; micro-and nanofabrication approaches are critical tools for accomplishing this objective. The cells of the heart, in vivo, are surrounded by an extracellular matrix that provides topographical cues on the micro-and nanoscale. Experimental studies have shown that topography influences cell organization, morphology, motility, and even proliferation. Understanding and recapitulating these influences is essential for guiding engineered cardiac tissue growth. This chapter reports on the fabrication techniques available for the creation of micro-and nanotopographically defined biomaterials, and examines the application of these biomimetic environments
to produce organized and aligned cardiac constructs with function mimicking that of native tissue.
