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Single-Cell Optical Action Potential Measurement in Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Cardiomyocytes
Published on: December 22, 2020
A system for optical high resolution screening of electrical excitable cells
Oliver Müller1, Qinghai Tian, Roman Zantl
1Institute for Molecular Cell Biology, Saarland University, Medical Faculty, Building 61, 66421 Homburg/Saar, Germany.
Cell Calcium
|December 29, 2009
Summary
This study presents a novel system for primary adult cardiomyocyte culture and field stimulation, enhancing high content screening (HCS) applications. The system improves cell contraction and optical properties for advanced microscopy and drug discovery.
Area of Science:
- Cell Biology
- Biotechnology
- High Content Screening
Background:
- Primary excitable cells require specialized systems for high content screening (HCS).
- Existing cell culture and multi-well plate technologies present limitations for primary cell applications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To introduce a novel system combining optimized culture conditions for primary adult cardiomyocytes with arbitrary field stimulation capabilities.
- To address the specific needs of excitable cells for advanced HCS applications.
Main Methods:
- Development of a novel multi-well plate system with individual well stimulation protocols.
- Integration of stimulation software compatible with HCS packages.
- Utilizing a plastic substrate with glass-like optical properties and specialized coatings for microscopy.
- Incorporation of an elastic film to mimic the extracellular matrix and enhance cardiomyocyte contraction.
Main Results:
- The system allows individual pulse protocols for each well, facilitating tailored experiments.
- The plastic substrate's optical properties support high-resolution immersion microscopy.
- Cardiomyocytes cultured on the elastic film exhibited significantly increased contractions compared to non-elastic substrates, with identical calcium transients.
Conclusions:
- The novel system and optimized culture conditions represent a significant advancement for primary adult cardiomyocyte applications in HCS.
- The design facilitates improved cell function and imaging, paving the way for more effective drug screening and disease modeling.
