Electrical impedance characterization of adipose tissue-derived stem cells cultured on indium tin oxide electrodes

The optical and electrical analysis of the stem cell growth and differentiation using the transparent electrode can be applied to develop new treatment strategies based on stem cell tissue engineering or therapy. In this article, it was investigated whether adipose tissue-derived stem cells (ADSCs) can be cultured on the indium tin oxide electrodes (ITO) and whether the cell growth can be characterized by impedance spectroscopy. From phase contrast microscopy of ADSCs, it was observed that ADSCs adhered and spread on the surface of ITO electrode during cell growth. The measured electrical impedance spectra of the cell-covered electrode were characterized by an equivalent circuit model. By fitting analysis, the resistance and capacitance of ADSCs were extrapolated. The degree of cell coverage on the electrode during cell growth was sensitively detected by monitoring the impedance magnitude.