Monitoring Electroporation-Induced Changes in Action Potential Generation in Genetically Engineered Tet-On Spiking...

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Cell Biology
• Electrophysiology

Background:

• Excitable cells (neuronal, muscle) are targets or can be affected by electroporation therapies.
• Adverse side effects can occur due to unintended electroporation of excitable tissues.
• Optimizing electroporation requires understanding its effects on cell excitability and ion channels.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a protocol for studying electric pulse effects on excitable cells during electroporation.
• To enable optical monitoring of action potential generation changes.
• To efficiently evaluate excitable cell responses and the excitation-electroporation interplay.

Main Methods:

• Utilized genetically engineered tet-on spiking HEK cells as an excitable cell model.
• Employed a fluorescent potentiometric dye for optical monitoring of transmembrane voltage changes.
• Automated data analysis of cell responses using a MATLAB application under fluorescence microscopy.

Main Results:

• Successfully developed a protocol for optical monitoring of electroporation effects on excitable cells.
• Quantified changes in action potential generation in response to varying electric pulses.
• Enabled efficient evaluation of the interplay between cell excitation and electroporation.

Conclusions:

• The developed protocol allows for efficient optical assessment of electric pulse effects on excitable cells.
• This method aids in optimizing electroporation-based treatments for both excitable and non-excitable tissues.
• Understanding these effects is crucial for minimizing adverse side effects in clinical applications.