Micropatterning of cardiomyocytes using adhesion-resistant polymeric microstructures

This work describes a simple approach to patterned growth of cardiomyocytes with high activity aided by three-dimensional physical barrier of polyethylene glycol (PEG) microstructures. The morphology and mobility of patterned cardiomyocytes were analyzed with different topographical heights of the PEG barrier. It was found that isolated aggregates of cardiomyocytes showed various beating activities depending on the morphology and the number of cells. Furthermore, three-dimensionally grown cardiac muscle cells medicated by a higher physical barrier generated higher contraction force with faster beating frequency than those of cells attached to the collagen-coated surface on culture dish (control), suggesting that control over cell growth and shape would be critical for optimizing the activity and functions of patterned cardiomyocytes.