Myocardial mechanics displaying on visual structural color hydrogel microcolumn arrays

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Cellular Mechanics
• Bioengineering

Background:

• Cellular mechanics are crucial for biological processes.
• Developing reliable mechanical sensing strategies is essential.
• Existing methods for sensing cellular forces can be complex.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a novel method for visualizing cellular mechanics using structural color hydrogel microcolumn arrays.
• To demonstrate the application of these arrays in monitoring cardiomyocyte mechanical behavior.
• To establish a myocardial hypertrophy model for studying pathological conditions.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of microcolumn arrays via hierarchical replication of microwell templates using colloidal crystal pregel.
• Cultivation of beating cardiomyocytes on the microcolumn arrays.
• Observation of synchronous, reversible deformations and structural color changes correlated with cellular forces.

Main Results:

• Microcolumn arrays exhibited visible structural color changes and reflection peak shifts corresponding to cardiomyocyte mechanical activity.
• The arrays accurately reported cardiomyocyte contraction force at the single-cell level.
• A myocardial hypertrophy model was successfully established and monitored using the developed system.

Conclusions:

• Structural color hydrogel microcolumn arrays offer a simple and reliable platform for displaying cellular mechanics.
• This technology is valuable for evaluating clinical diseases involving aberrant cellular force.
• The arrays may help identify potential therapeutic targets for diseases characterized by abnormal cellular mechanics.