Evaluation of Porcine Psoas Major as a Scaffold Material for Engineered Heart Tissues

Abstract

Decellularized porcine myocardium is commonly used as scaffolding for engineered heart tissues (EHTs). However, structural and mechanical heterogeneity in the myocardium complicate production of mechanically consistent tissues. In this study, we evaluate the porcine psoas major muscle (tenderloin) as an alternative scaffold material. Head-to-head comparison of decellularized tenderloin and ventricular scaffolds showed only minor differences in mean biomechanical characteristics, but tenderloin scaffolds were less variable and less dependent on the region of origin than ventricular samples. The active contractile behavior of EHTs made by seeding tenderloin versus ventricular scaffolds with human-induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes was also comparable, with only minor differences observed. Collectively, the data reveal that the behavior of EHTs produced from decellularized porcine psoas muscle is almost identical to those made from porcine left ventricular myocardium, with the advantages of being more homogeneous, biomechanically consistent, and readily obtainable.

Impact statement

We evaluated decellularized porcine psoas muscle as a novel alternative to decellularized porcine myocardium as a scaffold for engineered heart tissue (EHT) formation. Scaffolds produced from decellularized porcine psoas muscle yielded EHTs that were essentially indistinguishable from those made from decellularized myocardial tissue in terms of muscle contraction, while offering significant benefits such as ease of procurement, material consistency, and cost.