Utilizing Recombinant Hagfish Intermediate Filament Proteins to Create a Three-Dimensional Biomimetic Model of the Myocardium

While cardiovascular diseases are some of the most common ailments throughout the world, there is much that is still poorly understood about how these diseases function on a cellular level. One common way of studying these diseases is by using animal models or clinical trials. However, this testing is often expensive and ethically complex. A cheaper, faster, and more ethically straightforward way to study these diseases on a cellular level prior to animal or human studies is by using an imitation model of the tissue, called an in vitro model. Many researchers have made in vitro models of the heart muscle; however, these models often fail to successfully represent one or more important aspects of heart muscle in the body. Often, these limitations are a result of the material used, as very few materials can successfully capture the properties of heart muscle. This project uses a unique material, called recombinant hagfish intermediate proteins, to create an improved in vitro model of the heart muscle. This protein is derived from the slime of a hagfish, a deep-sea creature, which shows distinctive properties that make this material uniquely suited for in vitro modeling projects. This protein is used to form threads that can mimic the properties of the heart muscle, which are then used to support the growth of muscle cells. The protein threads and cells together create an imitation tissue that can be used to gather information on how the heart muscle works, which will help researchers progress toward developing successful treatments for many cardiovascular diseases.