A light-addressable potentiometric sensor-based extracellular calcium dynamic monitoring and imaging platform for

Shichao Tian1, Chiyu Ma2, Yuxuan Zhu1

  • 1Biosensor National Special Laboratory, Key Laboratory for Biomedical Engineering of Ministry of Education, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310027, China.

PubMed

Insights

A new light-addressable potentiometric sensor (LAPS) system enables continuous, specific monitoring of cellular calcium. This dynamic system aids in evaluating calcium channel drugs for diseases like stroke and heart failure.

Area of Science:

  • Biomedical Engineering
  • Cell Biology
  • Sensor Technology

Background:

  • Cellular calcium channel dysfunction is linked to severe diseases, including stroke, heart failure, and arrhythmias.
  • Current in vitro drug evaluation methods for calcium channel modulators face limitations in long-term monitoring and calcium specificity.
  • There is a need for advanced techniques to accurately assess cellular calcium metabolism in real-time.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop a novel dynamic monitoring system for real-time extracellular calcium ion (Ca2+) concentration in live cells.
  • To evaluate the efficacy of calcium channel agonists and blockers using the developed system.
  • To enhance drug screening capabilities for calcium homeostasis-related diseases.

Main Methods:

  • Development of a light-addressable potentiometric sensor (LAPS) system incorporating ion-sensitive membranes.
  • Application of the LAPS system for monitoring extracellular Ca2+ concentration changes in 2D and 3D HL-1 cell cultures.
  • Integration of calcium imaging technology with optical addressing for 3D cell morphology perception.

Main Results:

  • The LAPS system successfully monitored dynamic changes in extracellular Ca2+ concentration, reflecting cellular calcium metabolism.
  • The system demonstrated the effects of Ca2+ channel agonists and blockers on HL-1 cells.
  • Combined LAPS and calcium imaging provided enhanced capabilities for evaluating drug effects on cellular calcium.

Conclusions:

  • A novel, label-free, specific, and stable technique for monitoring cellular calcium metabolism has been established.
  • The system supports both continuous single-point monitoring and custom sensing area calcium imaging.
  • This technology has significant implications for drug screening and the treatment of diseases involving calcium homeostasis disruption.

Related Concept Videos