Summary
Published in PLOS ONE (2023), this peer-reviewed study used 3D Petri Dish® micro-molds to form scaffold-free 3D microtissues. Full citation: Soepriatna, Arvin H., et al. Action potential metrics and automated data analysis pipeline for cardiotoxicity testing using optically mapped hiPSC-derived 3D cardiac microtissues
Action potential metrics and automated data analysis pipeline for cardiotoxicity testing using optically mapped hiPSC-derived 3D cardiac microtissues
Research Overview
This study built the data pipeline for 3D cardiac safety testing: automated algorithms that quantify action-potential changes in scaffold-free cardiac microtissues made from human iPSC-derived cardiomyocytes mixed with 5–25% human cardiac fibroblasts. The mixtures self-assembled into spherical microtissues in 35-microwell agarose gels, and optical mapping with a voltage-sensitive dye and CMOS camera captured action potentials from 4×4 grids of microtissues simultaneously.
Automated thresholding after Fourier transform identified the microtissues showing action potentials, enabling higher-throughput electrophysiology than manual analysis — a foundation for cardiotoxicity screening of pharmaceutical and environmental compounds in human 3D tissue.
Key Discoveries
- Scaffold-free cardiac microtissues self-assembled in 35-microwell agarose gels from iPSC-cardiomyocytes + fibroblasts
- 4×4 microtissue arrays optically mapped simultaneously with voltage-sensitive dye
- Automated Fourier-based algorithms extracted action-potential metrics for cardiotoxicity screening
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12-81 Large Spheroids
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24-35 Large Spheroids
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Frequently Asked Questions
What products are used for cardiac research?Microtissues offers several mold formats suitable for cardiac research, including the 12-256 Small Spheroids and 24-35 Large Spheroids configurations, which allow researchers to optimize microtissue size for their specific cardiac applications.Why are 3D microtissues better than traditional 2D cell cultures?
3D microtissues formed using 3D Petri Dish® micro-molds better recapitulate the complex cell-cell interactions, extracellular matrix organization, and signaling gradients found in living tissues. This leads to more physiologically relevant results compared to growing cells on flat plastic surfaces, where cells often behave differently than they do in the body.