Microsystem for Stem Cell-Based Cardiovascular Research

The emergence of microsystem offers a tool to analyze the biophysical and biochemical functions of individual cells for biosensing, disease diagnostics, drug screening, and fundamental research. With the rapid expansion and eager need for stem cell-based regenerative medicine, introducing microsystem to stem cell research allows locating, culturing, and reprogramming stem cells under a highly controlled microenvironment, including geometrical restriction, surface biochemistry, extracellular matrix (ECM) composites, and cell-cell interactions. This review focused on the application of microtechnology in stem cell-based cardiovascular research to discuss the creation of biomimetic cardiac microenvironment and its influence on stem cell cardiomyogenic differentiation and stem cell-cardiomyocyte interaction. This review was divided into four sections: three-dimensional tissue construction, two-dimensional cell alignment, single-cell micropatterning and analysis, and development of advanced microsystem "heart-on-a-chip".