Fluorescent hiPSC-derived MYH6-mScarlet cardiomyocytes for real-time tracking, imaging, and cardiotoxicity assays

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Research
• Stem Cell Biology
• Biotechnology

Background:

• Human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs) show promise for disease modeling and drug development.
• Current limitations hinder the full utilization of hiPSC-CMs as alternatives to animal models.
• Bridging the translational gap requires advanced tools for hiPSC-CM research.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a cardiac-specific reporter line for enhanced hiPSC-CM research.
• To create a real-time imaging platform for cellular tracking and phenotyping.
• To establish an imaging-based system for cardiotoxicity screening and biomaterial analysis.

Main Methods:

• CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing was used to generate a cardiac-specific hiPSC reporter line.
• The reporter line differentiates into fluorescent cardiomyocytes (CMs) using mScarlet.
• An imaging-based system was developed for cardiotoxicity screening and biomaterial cytocompatibility analysis.

Main Results:

• Fluorescent hiPSC-CMs enable non-invasive, continuous tracking and functional phenotyping.
• The system allows real-time 2D/3D imaging and monitoring of drug-induced toxicity.
• Reporter fluorescence visualizes sarcomeric disarray and decreases with drug dose, indicating toxicity.
• The tool assesses cell behavior and maturity on biomaterial scaffolds.

Conclusions:

• The developed cardiac imaging tool facilitates real-time tracking and high-resolution imaging of hiPSC-CMs.
• This versatile tool has significant potential in cardiovascular disease modeling, drug screening, and toxicology testing.
• The reporter hiPSC-CM line advances the use of human-based experimental platforms.