Anju Gupta's research works | University of Toledo and other places

(A) Carbon nanomaterials and their use in various tissue engineering applications. Produced using www.biorender.com. (B) number of publications on carbon‐based tissue engineering scaffolds for different carbon allotropes, as devised from the Web of Science.

Conductive carbon scaffolds attempt to restore the electromechanical properties of cardiac tissue. (A‐ii) Healthy heart tissue versus scarred heat tissue affected by myocardial infarction. (B‐ii) Conductive composites with carbon‐based scaffolds reinforce and provide conductivity to cardiac tissue and cells. (C) Electrically active carbon composites mimic the native extracellular matrix to grow cells derived from multiple sources (i.e., host, donor, myocardiocytes, etc.). Reprinted from Meyers et al.⁷⁶ Copyright 2021 Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute.

(A) Schematic of a hexagonal ring of graphene and its stacking arrangement in multilayer graphene. (B) Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) image of single and multiwall CNTs, showcasing the tubular configuration. Reproduced with permission from Iijima.⁸¹ Copyright 1991 Springer Nature. (C) Schematic of the electrospinning process and an example of scanning and TEM images of electrospun carbon nanofibers, illustrating nanofibril morphology and random graphitic arrangements within the fibers, respectively. The schematic and scanning electron microscope image were reproduced from Islam et al.⁸² (D) The spherical shape of carbon dots, highlighting the nanometric particle size. The inset shows the graphitic plane arrangement within a single carbon dot. Reproduced from Dager et al.⁸³ (E) An Ashby chart of strength versus Young's modulus, comparing the mechanical properties of carbon materials, and demonstrating their biomechanical adaptability compared to other materials. (A), (E), and TEM in (C) are reproduced from Islam et al.²⁵

(A) Mouse preosteoblastic cells, MC3T3, cultured on a poly(ε‐caprolactone) (PCL)/graphene conductive scaffold. The inset shows a low‐magnification scanning electron microscopy image of the scaffold with cells. Quantification of (B) alkaline phosphatase protein and (C) newly formed tissue obtained from the in vivo experimentation with the PCL/graphene scaffold under electrical stimulation. For comparison, PCL and natural bone regeneration were also used as scaffolds. (D) Photomicrography study for the in vivo experiments for all groups after 120 days, stained with hematoxylin and eosin, showing the entire bone defect. Reprinted with permission from Wang et al.¹²⁴ Copyright 2019 Elsevier.

(A) Stem‐cell‐derived cardiomyocytes expressed improved cell growth behavior on aligned graphene‐embedded poly(ε‐caprolactone) (PCL) (PCL+G) nanofiber scaffolds compared to randomly oriented fibers and pristine PCL fibers. The cells cultured on PCL and PCL+G scaffolds showed significantly higher average beating frequency than a control flat substrate on Day 6 of culture. Particularly, the cells grown on the aligned fibers (PCL A and PCL+G). (A) Expressed higher beating frequency compared to the randomly oriented fibers. Increased expression of myosin heavy chain, connexin43 (Cx43), and cardiac troponin cell growth proteins was observed in the cultured cells on PCL+G scaffolds compared to PCL at 6 and 14 days. Reprinted with permission from Hitscherich et al.¹⁴⁴ Copyright 2018 Wiley. (B–E) Cardiomyocytes cultured on GelMA and PDA/rGO‐incorporated GelMA hydrogel with different concentrations after electrical stimulation with rectangular electrical pulses with 2 ms durations, 1.5 V, and 3 Hz frequency. (B) Immuno‐stained cardiac‐related proteins of cultured cardiomyocytes (Cx43: in red; sarcomeric α‐actinin: in green; nucleus: in blue). Effect expressed sarcomeric α‐actinin and (D) mean fluorescence intensity of Cx43. (E) Beating velocities of cardiomyocytes on PDA/rGO concentration under electrical stimulation on the expressed cardiac proteins: (C) Quantified the OOP value of different hydrogels. Reprinted with permission from Li et al.¹⁴³ Copyright 2021 Elsevier.

Carbon nanomaterials‐based electrically conductive scaffolds for tissue engineering applications

April 2024

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MedComm - Biomaterials and Applications

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In tissue engineering, the pivotal role of scaffolds is underscored, serving as key elements to emulate the native extracellular matrix. These scaffolds must provide structural integrity and support and supply electrical, mechanical, and chemical cues for cell and tissue growth. Notably, electrical conductivity plays a crucial role when dealing with tissues like bone, spinal, neural, and cardiac tissues. However, the typical materials used as tissue engineering scaffolds are predominantly polymers, which generally characteristically feature poor electrical conductivity. Therefore, it is often necessary to incorporate conductive materials into the polymeric matrix to yield electrically conductive scaffolds and further enable electrical stimulation. Among different conductive materials, carbon nanomaterials have attracted significant attention in developing conductive tissue engineering scaffolds, demonstrating excellent biocompatibility and bioactivity in both in vitro and in vivo settings. This article aims to comprehensively review the current landscape of carbon‐based conductive scaffolds, with a specific focus on their role in advancing tissue engineering for the regeneration and maturation of functional tissues, emphasizing the application of electrical stimulation. This review highlights the versatility of carbon‐based conductive scaffolds and addresses existing challenges and prospects, shedding light on the trajectory of innovative conductive scaffold development in tissue engineering.

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Anju Gupta’s research while affiliated with University of Toledo and other places

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