Development of a bioreactor imaging system for characterizing embryonic stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) affects more than 70 million Americans and is the number one cause of mortality in the United States. Because the regenerative capacity of adult tissues such as the heart is limited, human embryonic stem cells (hESC) have emerged as a source for potential cardiac therapies. However, despite the use of a variety of biochemical differentiation protocols, current yields of hESC-derived cardiomyocytes (CM) have been low. In the case of hESC-CM, which are inherently electromechanically active, additional forms of inducing a mature cardiac fate have not been fully explored. In order to non-invasively visualize and quantify biochemical, electrical, and mechanical stimulation on hESC-CM differentiation in future studies, a bioreactor imaging system has been developed and is described in this report.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Science in Engineering

Level thesis:degree_level

Masters

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Biomedical Engineering

Grantor

The University of Texas at Austin

Year dc:date.issued

2010

Author dc:creator

• Abilez, Oscar John

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Suggs, Laura J.

Committee member dc:contributor.committeemember

• Roy, Krishnendu

• Cardiovascular disease
• Heart
• Human embryonic stem cell
• hESC
• Cardiomyocytes
• Bioreactor
• Imaging system
• Regenerative medicine
• Tissue engineering

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/2152/ETD-UT-2010-05-663

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:repositories.lib.utexas.edu:2152/ETD-UT-2010-05-663