Simultaneous electromechanical monitoring in engineered heart tissues using a mesoscale framework
Dominic E. Fullenkamp, Woo‐Youl Maeng, Seyong Oh, Haiwen Luan, Kyung Su Kim, Ivana A. Chychula, Jin‐Tae Kim, Jae‐Young Yoo, Cory Holgren, Alexis R. Demonbreun, Sharon A. George, Binjie Li, Yaching Hsu, Gooyoon Chung, Jeongmin Yoo, Jahyun Koo, Yoonseok Park, Igor R. Efimov, Elizabeth M. McNally, John A. Rogers
Abstract
Engineered heart tissues (EHTs) generated from human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs) represent powerful platforms for human cardiac research, especially in drug testing and disease modeling. Here, we report a flexible, three-dimensional electronic framework that enables real-time, spatiotemporal analysis of electrophysiologic and mechanical signals in EHTs under physiological loading conditions for dynamic, noninvasive, longer-term assessments. These electromechanically monitored EHTs support multisite measurements throughout the tissue under baseline conditions and in response to stimuli. Demonstrations include uses in tracking physiological responses to pharmacologically active agents and in capturing electrophysiological characteristics of reentrant arrhythmias. This platform facilitates precise analysis of signal location and conduction velocity in human cardiomyocyte tissues, as the basis for a broad range of advanced cardiovascular studies.