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Updated: Jul 10, 2026
Electrophysiological Analysis of human Pluripotent Stem Cell-derived Cardiomyocytes hPSC-CMs Using Multi-electrode Arrays MEAs
Published on: May 12, 2017
A PEDOT:PSS-MWCNT-modified MEA platform with integrated electrical stimulation for enhanced maturation and drug
Zhixiang Liang1,2, Huimin Li1,2, Junlei Han1,2
1School of Mechanical Engineering, Qilu University of Technology (Shandong Academy of Sciences), Jinan 250353, China. liwang@qlu.edu.cn.
Abstract:
Cardiovascular toxicity is a key safety indicator that has to be evaluated in the process of new drug development. To enable high-throughput and multiparametric assessment of cardiomyocyte function, we developed a 32-well high-throughput microelectrode array (MEA) platform integrated with electrical stimulation. Electrode surface modification with PEDOT:PSS-MWCNT nanocomposites significantly enhanced electrochemical performance and signal acquisition fidelity, reducing electrode impedance by 37-fold compared to unmodified Au electrodes. Notably, the built-in electrical stimulation effectively promoted electrophysiological and structural maturation of human iPSC-cardiomyocytes, demonstrated by a 15.47% increase in sarcomere length and 1.73-fold upregulation of connexin-43 expression. The platform's utility was further validated through cardiotoxicity assessment of two representative ion channel modulators, E-4031 (a selective hERG channel blocker) and verapamil (a clinically used calcium channel blocker). Collectively, this study presents an integrated platform that combines functional monitoring with cellular maturation enhancement, offering a powerful tool for cardiotoxicity screening and disease modeling.
