Cardiotoxicity assessment is a crucial step in the drug development process. With growing interest in alternatives to animal testing, preclinical cardiotoxicity evaluation has become increasingly important. Human-induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (iPSC-CMs) offer a physiologically relevant in vitro model for this purpose. As a result, electrophysiological analysis platforms using iPSC-CMs have gained attention. However, conventional microelectrode array (MEA) chips rely on metal electrodes, which are costly and optically opaque. This lack of transparency limits detailed morphological observation of the cells. In this study, we employed an MEA chip incorporating transparent and conductive indium tin oxide (ITO) electrodes to simultaneously monitor both morphological changes and field potential (FP) of iPSC-CMs. iPSC-CMs cultured on ITO chips exhibited stable electrophysiological signals reflecting coupled depolarization and repolarization, along with self-organization. Short-term exposure to ion channel blockers did not induce noticeable morphological alterations; however, dose-dependent changes in FPs were observed. In contrast, treatment with cardiotoxic drugs resulted in morphological damage and reduced cell viability, accompanied by progressive alterations in key FP parameters over the treatment period. These findings demonstrate the potential of ITO-based MEA as next-generation cardiotoxicity evaluation platforms capable of real-time monitoring of both drug-induced electrophysiological responses and optical cellular changes.
The rapid advancement of organoids has increased interest in replacing conventional 2D alternatives to animal testing. In drug development, cardiotoxicity assessment is essential, and electrophysiological signals from cardiomyocytes serve as key biomarkers. Accordingly, planar 2D microelectrode array (MEA) chips are widely used. However, cardiomyocytes-based platform fails to reproduce complex in vivo physiological responses, leading to the combination of human cardiac organoids (hCdOs) with 3D sensors. Most of these approaches remain in the research stage and lack standardization. Therefore, there is still a need for methods that can stably evaluate organoids using commercially available 2D MEA chips. In this study, a silicon-based 3D-Net was introduced to enable stable monitoring of hCdOs electrophysiological signals on MEA chip. hCdOs fabricated using established protocols showed morphological and functional reproducibility suitable for drug testing. The 3D-Net prevented organoid flotation, ensured sufficient medium supply, and enabled measurements beyond acute assessment periods without functional impairment. Drug responsiveness varied significantly depending on the presence of 3D-Net and the volume of drug-containing medium. The 3D-Net platform overcomes the limitations of MEA, providing an effective and non-invasive method for functional evaluation and drug screening of hCdOs. Furthermore, this approach is expected to support preclinical evaluation of drug efficacy and safety.
Shinhye Park, Sang-Jun Cho, C-Yoon Kim, Hyung Min Chung & Seul-Gi LeeThe purpose of this experiment is to evaluate the dose-dependent cytotoxic effects of cisplatin on A549 cells by monitoring impedance changes and determining the IC50 value using the CIMS-32 system.
CELLAMES Cell Analysis TeamThe purpose of this experiment is to evaluate the suitability of different coating materials for supporting A549 cell attachment and proliferation in impedance-based assays.
Cellames Cell Analysis TeamThe purpose of this experiment is to analyze field potential changes in iCell cardiomyocytes2 treated with E-4031, a selective hERG potassium channel blocker.
Cellames Cell Analysis TeamThe purpose of this experiment is to optimize the seeding density of iCell Cardiomyocytes2 cells using the CFPS-32 system.
Cellames Cell Analysis TeamAnalysis of Field Potential Parameters in iCell Cardiomyocytes Using the CFPS-32 System
A total of 14,000–50,000 cardiomyocytes per well were cultured on CITO-16W01E-SGL cell chip up to DIV28, and field potentials were measured using the CFPS-32 system. (A) The key field potential parameters of cardiomyocytes were analyzed using the CFPS-32 software. (B) Cardiomyocyte beat period stabilized between 1-2 seconds starting from DIV6. (C) A consistent BPM around 30-60 was observed across various densities. (D) While the spike amplitude generally showed high variability, it tended to increase with higher cell densities, and after DIV8, it remained above 0.3 mV. (E) FPDcf stabilized around DIV10 and tended to increase with longer incubation periods. All parameters were the most stable between DIV10-12. The red dotted lines indicate the acceptable range for each parameter.
Cellames Cell Analysis Team