Figure 1.

Growing heart in a bioreactor. Building a heart starts with the decellularization of the organ, which creates an acellular scaffold consisting of structural proteins such as collagen and laminins, as well as proteoglycans and polysaccharides. This scaffold is further seeded with cells and cultured in a bioreactor to mimic the natural heart functions. A bioreactor supports and protects the engineered construct, providing nutrients and a sterile environment. This technique would create a functional bioartificial heart, a theoretical alternative to transplantation. Created with BioRender.com.