Protocol to measure contraction, calcium, and action potential in human-induced pluripotent stem cell-derived...

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Stem Cell Biology
• Biophysics

Background:

• Human-induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs) are crucial for disease modeling and drug screening.
• Efficient and reliable functional characterization of hiPSC-CMs is essential for their translational application.
• Existing protocols may not comprehensively assess multiple critical electrophysiological and mechanical parameters.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe a detailed protocol for the comprehensive functional assessment of hiPSC-CMs.
• To enable the measurement of contractile function, calcium handling, and action potential in hiPSC-CMs.
• To provide a standardized method for evaluating hiPSC-CMs' physiological performance.

Main Methods:

• Development and validation of a multi-parameter measurement protocol for hiPSC-CMs.
• Utilizing advanced techniques to assess contractile force and kinetics.
• Employing electrophysiological recordings for action potential characterization.
• Implementing calcium imaging to evaluate intracellular calcium dynamics.

Main Results:

• The protocol successfully measures contractile function, including beat rate and force.
• Accurate assessment of calcium transient properties, such as amplitude and decay time, is achieved.
• Reliable recording of action potential parameters, including duration and upstroke velocity, is demonstrated.
• The described method provides a comprehensive functional profile of hiPSC-CMs.

Conclusions:

• This protocol offers a robust and integrated approach for evaluating hiPSC-CM function.
• Standardized measurement of contractile function, calcium handling, and action potential is vital for hiPSC-CM research.
• The described methodology facilitates the advancement of hiPSC-CMs for preclinical and clinical applications.