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Patient deaths resulting from cardiovascular diseases are increasing across the globe, posing the greatest risk to patients in developed countries. Myocardial infarction, as a result of inadequate blood flow to the myocardium, results in irreversible loss of cardiomyocytes which can lead to heart failure. A sequela of myocardial infarction is scar formation that can alter the normal myocardial architecture and result in arrhythmias. Over the past decade, a myriad of tissue engineering approaches has been developed to fabricate engineered scaffolds for repairing cardiac tissue. This paper highlights the recent application of electrically conductive nanomaterials (carbon and gold-based nanomaterials, and electroactive polymers) to the development of scaffolds for cardiac tissue engineering. Moreover, this work summarizes the effects of these nanomaterials on cardiac cell behavior such as proliferation and migration, as well as cardiomyogenic differentiation in stem cells., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Graphene and its chemical derivatives have been a pivotal new class of nanomaterials and a model system for quantum behavior. The material's excellent electrical conductivity, biocompatibility, surface area and thermal properties are of much interest to the scientific community. Two-dimensional graphene materials have been widely used in various biomedical research areas such as bioelectronics, imaging, drug delivery, and tissue engineering. In this review, we will highlight the recent applications of graphene-based materials in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. In particular, we will discuss the application of graphene-based materials in cardiac, neural, bone, cartilage, skeletal muscle, and skin/adipose tissue engineering. We will also discuss the potential risk factors of graphene-based materials in tissue engineering. In conclusion, we will outline the opportunities in the usage of graphene-based materials for clinical applications., (Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Abstract: Micro-/nanoscale technologies such as lithographic techniques and microfluidics offer promising avenues to revolutionalize the fields of tissue engineering, drug discovery, diagnostics and personalized medicine. Microfabrication techniques are being explored for drug delivery applications due to their ability to combine several features such as precise shape and size into a single drug delivery vehicle. They also offer to create unique asymmetrical features incorporated into single or multiple reservoir systems maximizing contact area with the intestinal lining. Combined with intelligent materials, such microfabricated platforms can be designed to be bioadhesive and stimuli-responsive. Apart from drug delivery devices, microfabrication technologies offer exciting opportunities to create biomimetic gastrointestinal tract models incorporating physiological cell types, flow patterns and brush-border like structures. Here we review the recent developments in this field with a focus on the applications of microfabrication in the development of oral drug delivery devices and biomimetic gastrointestinal tract models that can be used to evaluate the drug delivery efficacy. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]