hiPSC-CM electrophysiology: impact of temporal changes and study parameters on experimental reproducibility

Human-induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs) are frequently used for preclinical cardiotoxicity testing and remain an important tool for confirming model-based predictions of drug effects in accordance with the comprehensive in vitro proarrhythmia assay (CiPA). Despite the considerable benefits hiPSC-CMs provide, concerns surrounding experimental reproducibility have emerged. We investigated the effects of temporal changes and experimental parameters on hiPSC-CM electrophysiology. iCell cardiomyocytes² were cultured and biosignals were acquired using a microelectrode array (MEA) system (2-14 days). Continuous recordings revealed a 22.6% increase in the beating rate and 7.7% decrease in the field potential duration (FPD) during a 20-min equilibration period. Location-specific differences across a multiwell plate were also observed, with iCell cardiomyocytes² in the outer rows beating 8.8 beats/min faster than the inner rows. Cardiac endpoints were also impacted by cell culture duration; from 2 to 14 days, the beating rate decreased (-12.7 beats/min), FPD lengthened (+257 ms), and spike amplitude increased (+3.3 mV). Cell culture duration (4-10 days) also impacted cardiomyocyte drug responsiveness (E-4031, nifedipine, isoproterenol). qRT-PCR results suggest that daily variations in cardiac metrics may be linked to the continued maturation of hiPSC-CMs in culture (2-30 days). Daily experiments were also repeated using a second cell line (Cor.4U). Collectively, our study highlights multiple sources of variability to consider and address when performing hiPSC-CM MEA studies. To improve reproducibility and data interpretation, MEA-based studies should establish a standardized protocol and report key experimental conditions (e.g., cell line, culture time, equilibration time, electrical stimulation settings, and raw data values).NEW & NOTEWORTHY We demonstrate that iCell cardiomyocytes² electrophysiology measurements are impacted by deviations in experimental techniques including electrical stimulation protocols, equilibration time, well-to-well variability, and length of hiPSC-CM culture. Furthermore, our results indicate that hiPSC-CM drug responsiveness changes within the first 2 wk following defrost.