A cell-based biosensor for real-time detection of cardiotoxicity using lensfree imaging

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Cardiovascular Research
• Toxicology

Background:

• Cardiotoxicity is a significant concern in drug development, necessitating sensitive and efficient detection methods.
• Existing cardiotoxicity assays can be complex, time-consuming, and expensive.
• Real-time monitoring of cardiomyocyte function is crucial for early detection of drug-induced damage.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a portable, cost-effective, real-time cardiotoxicity biosensor.
• To evaluate the sensor's ability to detect drug effects on cardiomyocyte beating rate and variability.
• To demonstrate the system's utility for cell-based biosensing applications.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a CMOS imaging module from a commercial webcam for the detection system.
• Integrated a white LED and pinhole for illumination and imaging.
• Employed real-time image processing by comparing reference and live frames.
• Measured the effects of isoprenaline and doxorubicin on ESC-derived cardiomyocyte beating parameters.

Main Results:

• The biosensor successfully detected increased beat-to-beat variability with both isoprenaline and doxorubicin.
• Isoprenaline increased cardiomyocyte beating rates, while doxorubicin decreased them.
• The system exhibited faster response times for isoprenaline compared to doxorubicin, despite lower concentrations used.

Conclusions:

• The developed CMOS-based biosensor provides a simple, inexpensive, and real-time method for cardiotoxicity assessment.
• This technology holds potential for various cell-based biosensing applications, aiding in drug safety evaluation.
• The system effectively differentiates the cardiotoxic effects of different drugs on cardiomyocyte function.