Fig. 1. Bioengineered in vitro models of cardiovascular function and disease.

Tissue engineered constructs offer several advantages over conventional 2D cultures such as enhanced physiological relevance, establishment of cell-cell and cell-ECM interactions, delivery of physicochemical cues, biomimetic microarchitecture, and 3D gradients of stiffness, nutrients, biochemical factors, oxygen, etc. In the context of cardiovascular studies, the incorporation of bioengineered tissues into microfluidic-based platforms allows the recapitulation and precise control over critical physiological parameters such as flow, and electrical and mechanical stimuli. Furthermore, the generation of disease- and even patient-specific phenotypes through stem cell technology has enabled the development of highly representative models of cardiovascular diseases. These sophisticated in vitro platforms have emerged as powerful tools for several diagnostic (biomarker discovery and validation), and therapeutic (target identification and validation) applications, as well as high-throughput drug safety and efficacy testing.