Z-wire - a micro-scaffold that supports guided tissue assembly and intramyocardium delivery for cardiac repair

Cardiac tissue engineering needs to improve cell retention and integration through the intramyocardial delivery of functional tissues that preserve muscle alignment. We developed a biodegradable z-wire scaffold that supports the gel-free production of cardiac tissues in a 384-well plate format. The z-wire scaffold provides cellular alignment, tunable mechanical support and allows tissue contraction. When imparted with magnetic properties, z-wire tissues can be aligned and assembled under magnetic guidance. The addition of a customized surgical delivery tool enables z-wire tissue injection with controlled orientation directly into the myocardium. This smart modular tissue engineering approach could expand opportunity in functional tissue delivery.