3D Cardiac Cell Culture: A Critical Review of Current Technologies and Applications

Research Overview

3D culture is most often discussed for regenerative medicine — replacing ischemic myocardium with engineered muscle constructs — but is also used in basic research, toxicology, and drug development. This review surveys how the field has changed.

Recent progress comes from stem cell technologies enabling mass production of hiPSC-derived cardiomyocytes and other cardiovascular cells, and from new culture methods including organ-on-chip and bioprinting. On the analysis side, improved sensors, computer-assisted image analysis, and data collection have lowered the barrier to switching from 2D to 3D models.