NanoMEA: A Tool for High-Throughput, Electrophysiological Phenotyping of Patterned Excitable Cells

Cross-correlation increases sampling in diffusion-based super-resolution optical fluctuation imaging

Correlation signal processing of optical three-dimensional (x, y, t) data can produce super-resolution images. The second order cross-correlation function XC 2 has been documented to produce super-resolution imaging with static and blinking emitters but not for diffusing emitters. Here, we both analytically and numerically demonstrate cross-correlation analysis for diffusing particles. We then expand our fluorescence correlation spectroscopy super-resolution optical fluctuation imaging (fcsSOFI) analysis to use cross-correlation as a post-processing computational technique to extract both dynamic and structural information of particle diffusion in nanoscale structures simultaneously. We further show how this method increases sampling rates and reduces aliasing for spatial information in both simulated and experimental data. Our work demonstrates how fcsSOFI with cross-correlation can be a powerful signal-processing tool to resolve the nanoscale dynamics and structure in samples relevant to biological and soft materials.

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Cardiotoxicity Assessment through a Polymer-Based Cantilever Platform: An Integrated Electro-Mechanical Screening Approach

Preclinical drug screening for cardiac toxicity has traditionally relied on observing changes in cardiomyocytes' electrical activity, primarily through invasive patch clamp techniques or non-invasive microelectrode arrays (MEA). However, relying solely on field potential duration (FPD) measurements for electrophysiological assessment can miss the full spectrum of drug-induced toxicity, as different drugs affect cardiomyocytes through various mechanisms. A more comprehensive approach, combining field potential and contractility measurements, is essential for accurate toxicity profiling, particularly for drugs targeting contractile proteins without affecting electrophysiology. However, previously proposed platform has significant limitations in terms of simultaneous measurement. The novel platform addresses these issues, offering enhanced, non-invasive evaluation of drug-induced cardiotoxicity. It features eight cantilevers with patterned strain sensors and MEA, enabling real-time monitoring of both cardiomyocyte contraction force and field potential. This system can detect minimum cardiac contraction force of ≈2 µN and field potential signals with 50 µm MEA diameter, using the same cardiomyocytes in measurements of two parameters. Testing with six drugs of varied mechanisms of action, the platform successfully identifies these mechanisms and accurately assesses toxicity profiles, including drugs not inhibiting potassium channels. This innovative approach presents a comprehensive, non-invasive method for cardiac function assessment, poised to revolutionize preclinical cardiotoxicity screening.

Engineered cocultures of iPSC-derived atrial cardiomyocytes and atrial fibroblasts for modeling atrial fibrillation

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common sustained cardiac arrhythmia treatable with antiarrhythmic drugs; however, patient responses remain highly variable. Human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived atrial cardiomyocytes (iPSC-aCMs) are useful for discovering precision therapeutics, but current platforms yield phenotypically immature cells and are not easily scalable for high-throughput screening. Here, primary adult atrial, but not ventricular, fibroblasts induced greater functional iPSC-aCM maturation, partly through connexin-40 and ephrin-B1 signaling. We developed a protein patterning process within multiwell plates to engineer patterned iPSC-aCM and atrial fibroblast coculture (PC) that significantly enhanced iPSC-aCM structural, electrical, contractile, and metabolic maturation for 6+ weeks compared to conventional mono-/coculture. PC displayed greater sensitivity for detecting drug efficacy than monoculture and enabled the modeling and pharmacological or gene editing treatment of an AF-like electrophysiological phenotype due to a mutated sodium channel. Overall, PC is useful for elucidating cell signaling in the atria, drug screening, and modeling AF.

NanoIEA: A Nanopatterned Interdigitated Electrode Array-Based Impedance Assay for Real-Time Measurement of Aligned Endothelial Cell Barrier Functions

A nanopatterned interdigitated electrode array (nanoIEA)-based impedance assay is developed for quantitative real-time measurement of aligned endothelial cell (EC) barrier functions in vitro. A bioinspired poly(3,4-dihydroxy-L-phenylalanine) (poly (l-DOPA)) coating is applied to improve the human brain EC adhesion onto the Nafion nanopatterned surfaces. It is found that a poly (l-DOPA)-coated Nafion grooved nanopattern makes the human brain ECs orient along the nanopattern direction. Aligned human brain ECs on Nafion nanopatterns exhibit increased expression of genes encoding tight and adherens junction proteins. Aligned human brain ECs also have enhanced impedance and resistance versus unaligned ones. Treatment with a glycogen synthase kinase-3 inhibitor (GSK3i) further increases impedance and resistance, suggesting synergistic effects occur on the cell-cell tightness of in vitro human brain ECs via a combination of anisotropic matrix nanotopography and GSK3i treatment. It is found that this enhanced cell-cell tightness of the combined approach is accompanied by increased expression of claudin protein. These data demonstrate that the proposed nanoIEA assay integrated with poly (l-DOPA)-coated Nafion nanopatterns and interdigitated electrode arrays can make not only biomimetic aligned ECs, but also enable real-time measurement of the enhanced barrier functions of aligned ECs via tighter cell-cell junctions.

High-throughput longitudinal electrophysiology screening of mature chamber-specific hiPSC-CMs using optical mapping

hiPSC-CMs are being considered by the Food and Drug Administration and other regulatory agencies for in vitro cardiotoxicity screening to provide human-relevant safety data. Widespread adoption of hiPSC-CMs in regulatory and academic science is limited by the immature, fetal-like phenotype of the cells. Here, to advance the maturation state of hiPSC-CMs, we developed and validated a human perinatal stem cell-derived extracellular matrix coating applied to high-throughput cell culture plates. We also present and validate a cardiac optical mapping device designed for high-throughput functional assessment of mature hiPSC-CM action potentials using voltage-sensitive dye and calcium transients using calcium-sensitive dyes or genetically encoded calcium indicators (GECI, GCaMP6). We utilize the optical mapping device to provide new biological insight into mature chamber-specific hiPSC-CMs, responsiveness to cardioactive drugs, the effect of GCaMP6 genetic variants on electrophysiological function, and the effect of daily β-receptor stimulation on hiPSC-CM monolayer function and SERCA2a expression.

Spatially Resolving Size Effects on Diffusivity in Nanoporous Extracellular Matrix-like Materials with Fluorescence Correlation Spectroscopy Super-Resolution Optical Fluctuation Imaging

It is well documented that the nanoscale structures within porous microenvironments greatly impact the diffusion dynamics of molecules. However, how the interaction between the environment and molecules influences the diffusion dynamics has not been thoroughly explored. Here, we show that fluorescence correlation spectroscopy super-resolution optical fluctuation imaging (fcsSOFI) can be used to accurately measure the diffusion dynamics of molecules within varying matrices such as nanopatterned surfaces and porous agarose hydrogels. Our data demonstrate the robustness of fcsSOFI, where it is possible not only to quantify the diffusion speeds of molecules in heterogeneous media but also to recover the matrix structure with resolution on the order of 100 nm. Using dextran molecules of varying sizes, we show that the diffusion coefficient is sensitive to the change in the molecular hydrodynamic radius. fcsSOFI images further reveal that smaller dextran molecules can freely move through the small pores of the hydrogel and report the detailed porous structure and local diffusion heterogeneities not captured by the average diffusion coefficient. Conversely, bigger dextran molecules are confined and unable to freely move through the hydrogel, highlighting only the larger pore structures. These findings establish fcsSOFI as a powerful tool to characterize spatial and diffusion information of diverse macromolecules within biorelevant matrices.

The interface stiffness and topographic feature dictate interfacial invasiveness of cancer spheroids

During cancer metastasis, tumor cells likely navigate, in a collective manner, discrete tissue spaces comprising inherently heterogeneous extracellular matrix microstructures where interfaces may be frequently encountered. Studies have shown that cell migration modes can be determined by adaptation to mechanical/topographic cues from interfacial microenvironments. However, less attention has been paid to exploring the impact of interfacial mechnochemical attributes on invasive and metastatic behaviors of tumor aggregates. Here, we excogitated a collagen matrix-solid substrate interface platform to investigate the afore-stated interesting issue. Our data revealed that stiffer interfaces stimulated spheroid outgrowth by motivating detachment of single cells and boosting their motility and velocity. However, stronger interfacial adhesive strength between matrix and substrate led to the opposite outcomes. Besides, this interfacial parameter also affected the morphological switch between migration modes of the detached cells and their directionality. Mechanistically, myosin II-mediated cell contraction, compared to matrix metalloproteinases-driven collagen degradation, was shown to play a more crucial role in the invasive outgrowth of tumor spheroids in interfacial microenvironments. Thus, our findings highlight the importance of heterogeneous interfaces in addressing and combating cancer metastasis.

Multiscale Mechanobiology in Brain Physiology and Diseases

Increasing evidence suggests that mechanics play a critical role in regulating brain function at different scales. Downstream integration of mechanical inputs into biochemical signals and genomic pathways causes observable and measurable effects on brain cell fate and can also lead to important pathological consequences. Despite recent advances, the mechanical forces that influence neuronal processes remain largely unexplored, and how endogenous mechanical forces are detected and transduced by brain cells into biochemical and genetic programs have received less attention. In this review, we described the composition of brain tissues and their pronounced microstructural heterogeneity. We discuss the individual role of neuronal and glial cell mechanics in brain homeostasis and diseases. We highlight how changes in the composition and mechanical properties of the extracellular matrix can modulate brain cell functions and describe key mechanisms of the mechanosensing process. We then consider the contribution of mechanobiology in the emergence of brain diseases by providing a critical review on traumatic brain injury, neurodegenerative diseases, and neuroblastoma. We show that a better understanding of the mechanobiology of brain tissues will require to manipulate the physico-chemical parameters of the cell microenvironment, and to develop three-dimensional models that can recapitulate the complexity and spatial diversity of brain tissues in a reproducible and predictable manner. Collectively, these emerging insights shed new light on the importance of mechanobiology and its implication in brain and nerve diseases.

An update of nanotopographical surfaces in modulating stem cell fate: a narrative review

Stem cells have been one of the ideal sources for tissue regeneration owing to their capability of self-renewal and differentiation. In vivo, the extracellular microenvironment plays a vital role in modulating stem cell fate. When developing biomaterials for regenerative medicine, incorporating biochemical and biophysical cues to mimic extracellular matrix can enhance stem cell lineage differentiation. More specifically, modulating the stem cell fate can be achieved by controlling the nanotopographic features on synthetic surfaces. Optimization of nanotopographical features leads to desirable stem cell functions, which can maximize the effectiveness of regenerative treatment. In this review, nanotopographical surfaces, including static patterned surface, dynamic patterned surface, and roughness are summarized, and their fabrication, as well as the impact on stem cell behaviour, are discussed. Later, the recent progress of applying nanotopographical featured biomaterials for altering different types of stem cells is presented, which directs the design and fabrication of functional biomaterial. Last, the perspective in fundamental research and for clinical application in this field is discussed.

Integrated Au-Nanoroded Biosensing and Regulating Platform for Photothermal Therapy of Bradyarrhythmia

Bradyarrhythmia is a kind of cardiovascular disease caused by dysregulation of cardiomyocytes, which seriously threatens human life. Currently, treatment strategies of bradyarrhythmia mainly include drug therapy, surgery, or implantable cardioverter defibrillators, but these strategies are limited by drug side effect, surgical trauma, and instability of implanted devices. Here, we developed an integrated Au-nanoroded biosensing and regulating platform to investigate the photothermal therapy of cardiac bradyarrhythmia in vitro. Au-nanoroded electrode array can simultaneously accumulate energy from the photothermal regulation and monitor the electrophsiological state to restore normal rhythm of cardiomyocytes in real time. To treat the cardiomyocytes cultured on Au-nanoroded device by near-infrared (NIR) laser irradiation, cardiomyocytes return to normal for long term after irradiation of suitable NIR energy and maintenance. Compared with the conventional strategies, the photothermal strategy is more effective and convenient to regulate the cardiomyocytes. Furthermore, mRNA sequencing shows that the differential expression genes in cardiomyocytes are significantly increased after photothermal strategy, which are involved in the regulation of the heart rate, cardiac conduction, and ion transport. This work establishes a promising integrated biosensing and regulating platform for photothermal therapy of bradyarrhythmia in vitro and provides reliable evidence of photothermal regulation on cardiomyocytes for cardiological clinical studies.

Sensitivity enhancement of impedance-based cellular biosensor by nanopatterned PEDOT:Nafion interface

A nanopatterned PEDOT:Nafion composite layer integrated with interdigitated electrodes was developed to improve the device dynamic range and sensitivity for cellular impedance spectroscopy. The nanopattern fidelity to provide cellular alignment...

Using hiPSC-CMs to Examine Mechanisms of Catecholaminergic Polymorphic Ventricular Tachycardia

Catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia (CPVT) is a potentially lethal inherited cardiac arrhythmia condition, triggered by physical or acute emotional stress, that predominantly expresses early in life. Gain-of-function mutations in the cardiac ryanodine receptor gene (RYR2) account for the majority of CPVT cases, causing substantial disruption of intracellular calcium (Ca²⁺ ) homeostasis particularly during the periods of β-adrenergic receptor stimulation. However, the highly variable penetrance, patient outcomes, and drug responses observed in clinical practice remain unexplained, even for patients with well-established founder RyR2 mutations. Therefore, investigation of the electrophysiological consequences of CPVT-causing RyR2 mutations is crucial to better understand the pathophysiology of the disease. The development of strategies for reprogramming human somatic cells to human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) has provided a unique opportunity to study inherited arrhythmias, due to the ability of hiPSCs to differentiate down a cardiac lineage. Employment of genome editing enables generation of disease-specific cell lines from healthy and diseased patient-derived hiPSCs, which subsequently can be differentiated into cardiomyocytes. This paper describes the means for establishing an hiPSC-based model of CPVT in order to recapitulate the disease phenotype in vitro and investigate underlying pathophysiological mechanisms. The framework of this approach has the potential to contribute to disease modeling and personalized medicine using hiPSC-derived cardiomyocytes. © 2021 Wiley Periodicals LLC.

Organic Bioelectronics for In Vitro Systems

Bioelectronics have made strides in improving clinical diagnostics and precision medicine. The potential of bioelectronics for bidirectional interfacing with biology through continuous, label-free monitoring on one side and precise control of biological activity on the other has extended their application scope to in vitro systems. The advent of microfluidics and the considerable advances in reliability and complexity of in vitro models promise to eventually significantly reduce or replace animal studies, currently the gold standard in drug discovery and toxicology testing. Bioelectronics are anticipated to play a major role in this transition offering a much needed technology to push forward the drug discovery paradigm. Organic electronic materials, notably conjugated polymers, having demonstrated technological maturity in fields such as solar cells and light emitting diodes given their outstanding characteristics and versatility in processing, are the obvious route forward for bioelectronics due to their biomimetic nature, among other merits. This review highlights the advances in conjugated polymers for interfacing with biological tissue in vitro, aiming ultimately to develop next generation in vitro systems. We showcase in vitro interfacing across multiple length scales, involving biological models of varying complexity, from cell components to complex 3D cell cultures. The state of the art, the possibilities, and the challenges of conjugated polymers toward clinical translation of in vitro systems are also discussed throughout.

Biomaterials-based Approaches for Cardiac Regeneration

Cardiovascular disease is a prevalent cause of mortality and morbidity, largely due to the limited ability of cardiomyocytes to proliferate. Existing therapies for cardiac regeneration include cell-based therapies and bioactive molecules. However, delivery remains one of the major challenges impeding such therapies from having significant clinical impact. Recent advancements in biomaterials-based approaches for cardiac regeneration have shown promise in improving cardiac function, promoting angiogenesis, and reducing adverse immune response in both human clinical trials and animal studies. These advances in therapeutic delivery via extracellular vesicles, cardiac patches, and hydrogels have the potential to enable clinical impact of cardiac regeneration therapies.

The limited ability of cardiomyocytes to proliferate is a major cause of mortality and morbidity in cardiovascular diseases. There exist therapies for cardiac regeneration that are cell-based as well as that involve bioactive molecules. However, delivery remains one of the major challenges impeding such therapies from having clinical impact. Recent advancements in biomaterials-based approaches for cardiac regeneration have shown promise in clinical trials and animal studies in improving cardiac function, promoting angiogenesis, and reducing adverse immune response. This review will focus on current clinical studies of three contemporary biomaterials-based approaches for cardiac regeneration (extracellular vesicles, injectable hydrogels, and cardiac patches), remaining challenges and shortcomings to be overcome, and future directions for the use of biomaterials to promote cardiac regeneration.

Cardiac Cell Patterning on Customized Microelectrode Arrays for Electrophysiological Recordings

Cardiomyocytes (CMs) and fibroblast cells are two essential elements for cardiac tissue structure and function. The interactions between them can alter cardiac electrophysiology and thus contribute to cardiac diseases, such as arrhythmogenesis. One possible explanation is that fibroblasts can directly affect cardiac electrophysiology through electrical coupling with CMs. Therefore, detecting the electrical activities in the CM-fibroblast network is vital for understanding the coupling dynamics among them. Current commercialized platforms for studying cardiac electrophysiology utilize planar microelectrode arrays (MEAs) to record the extracellular field potential (FP) in real-time, but the prearranged electrode configuration highly limits the measurement capabilities at specific locations. Here, we report a custom-designed MEA device with a novel micropatterning method to construct a controlled network of neonatal rat CMs (rCMs) and fibroblast connections for monitoring the electrical activity of rCM-fibroblast co-cultures in a spatially controlled fashion. For the micropatterning of the co-culture, surface topographical features and mobile blockers were used to control the initial attachment locations of a mixture of rCMs and fibroblasts, to form separate beating rCM-fibroblast clusters while leaving empty space for fibroblast growth to connect these clusters. Once the blockers are removed, the proliferating fibroblasts connect and couple the separate beating clusters. Using this method, electrical activity of both rCMs and human-induced-pluripotent-stem-cell-derived cardiomyocytes (iCMs) was examined. The coupling dynamics were studied through the extracellular FP and impedance profile recorded from the MEA device, indicating that the fibroblast bridge provided an RC-type coupling of physically separate rCM-containing clusters and enabled synchronization of these clusters.

Effects of low temperature on electrophysiology and mechanophysiology of human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs)

Studies related to low temperature and their effect on cardiomyocytes are essential as hypothermia—like situations have been known to induce arrhythmia or ventricular fibrillation. Till date, several studies have been carried out on animals and their electrophysiological responses have been studied in the form of action potential. However, for a complete assessment of the effect of low temperature, mechanophysiological changes along with electrophysiological changes need to be investigated, at the tissue level. In this study, the effect of culture temperature on cell growth has been studied by measuring the field potential and contractility of human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes. This study has the potential to further improve the understanding of low temperature on human cells.

Real-Time Monitoring of Changes in Cardiac Contractility Using Silicon Cantilever Arrays Integrated with Strain Sensors

This paper proposes the use of sensor-integrated silicon cantilever arrays to measure drug-induced cardiac toxicity in real time. The proposed cantilever sensors, unlike the conventional electrophysiological methods, aim to evaluate cardiac toxicity by measuring the contraction force of the cardiomyocytes corresponding to the target drugs. The surface of the silicon cantilever consists of microgrooves to maximize the alignment and the contraction force of the cardiomyocytes. This type of surface pattern also helps in the maturation of the cardiomyocytes by increasing the sarcomere length. The preliminary characterization of the cantilever sensors was performed on the cantilever surface, with the cardiomyocytes seeded with a density of 1000 cells/mm², and the cardiac contractility was measured as a function of the culture days. The change in the contraction force of the cardiomyocytes due to the drug concentration was successfully measured through the integrated strain sensor in the culture media. The reliability of the sensor-integrated cantilevers and the feasibility of their mass production ensure that they meet the practical requirements in the medical applications.

Fabrication of nanomolded Nafion thin films with tunable mechanical and electrical properties using thermal evaporation-induced capillary force lithography

In this paper, we report a simple and facile method to fabricate nanomolded Nafion thin films with tunable mechanical, and electrical properties. To achieve this, we combine a novel thermal evaporation-induced capillary force lithography method with swelling process to obtain enhanced pattern fidelity in nanomolded Nafion films. We demonstrate that structural fidelity and mechanical properties of patterned Nafion thin films can be modulated by changing fabrication parameters such as swelling time, Nafion polymer concentration, and curing temperature. Interestingly, we also find that impedance properties of nanomolded Nafion thin films are associated with the Nafion polymer concentration and curing temperature. In particular, 20% Nafion thin films exhibit greater impedance stability and lower impedance values than 5% Nafion thin films at lower frequencies. Moreover, curing temperature-specific impedance changes are observed. These results suggest that capillary lithography can be used to fabricate Nafion nanostructures with high pattern fidelity capable of modifying mechanical and electrical properties of Nafion thin films.

Multifunctional Structured Platforms: From Patterning of Polymer-Based Films to Their Subsequent Filling with Various Nanomaterials

There is an astonishing number of optoelectronic, photonic, biological, sensing, or storage media devices, just to name a few, that rely on a variety of extraordinary periodic surface relief miniaturized patterns fabricated on polymer-covered rigid or flexible substrates. Even more extraordinary is that these surface relief patterns can be further filled, in a more or less ordered fashion, with various functional nanomaterials and thus can lead to the realization of more complex structured architectures. These architectures can serve as multifunctional platforms for the design and the development of a multitude of novel, better performing nanotechnological applications. In this work, we aim to provide an extensive overview on how multifunctional structured platforms can be fabricated by outlining not only the main polymer patterning methodologies but also by emphasizing various deposition methods that can guide different structures of functional nanomaterials into periodic surface relief patterns. Our aim is to provide the readers with a toolbox of the most suitable patterning and deposition methodologies that could be easily identified and further combined when the fabrication of novel structured platforms exhibiting interesting properties is targeted.

Probing the subcellular nanostructure of engineered human cardiomyocytes in 3D tissue

The structural and functional maturation of human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs) is essential for pharmaceutical testing, disease modeling, and ultimately therapeutic use. Multicellular 3D-tissue platforms have improved the functional maturation of hiPSC-CMs, but probing cardiac contractile properties in a 3D environment remains challenging, especially at depth and in live tissues. Using small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) imaging, we show that hiPSC-CMs matured and examined in a 3D environment exhibit a periodic spatial arrangement of the myofilament lattice, which has not been previously detected in hiPSC-CMs. The contractile force is found to correlate with both the scattering intensity (R ² = 0.44) and lattice spacing (R ² = 0.46). The scattering intensity also correlates with lattice spacing (R ² = 0.81), suggestive of lower noise in our structural measurement than in the functional measurement. Notably, we observed decreased myofilament ordering in tissues with a myofilament mutation known to lead to hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). Our results highlight the progress of human cardiac tissue engineering and enable unprecedented study of structural maturation in hiPSC-CMs.

Recent advances in three-dimensional microelectrode array technologies for in vitro and in vivo cardiac and neuronal interfaces

Three-dimensional microelectrode arrays (3D MEAs) have emerged as promising tools to detect electrical activities of tissues or organs in vitro and in vivo, but challenges in achieving fast, accurate, and versatile monitoring have consistently hampered further advances in analyzing cell or tissue behaviors. In this review, we discuss emerging 3D MEA technologies for in vitro recording of cardiac and neural cellular electrophysiology, as well as in vivo applications for heart and brain health diagnosis and therapeutics. We first review various forms of recent 3D MEAs for in vitro studies in context of their geometry, materials, and fabrication processes as well as recent demonstrations of 3D MEAs to monitor electromechanical behaviors of cardiomyocytes and neurons. We then present recent advances in 3D MEAs for in vivo applications to the heart and the brain for monitoring of health conditions and stimulation for therapy. A brief overview of the current challenges and future directions of 3D MEAs are provided to conclude the review.

Nanopatterned Nafion microelectrode arrays for in vitro cardiac electrophysiology

In this study, we report nanopatterned Nafion microelectrode arrays for in vitro cardiac electrophysiology. With the aim of defining sophisticated Nafion nanostructures with highly ionic conductivity, fabrication parameters such as Nafion concentration and curing temperature were optimized. By increasing curing temperature and Nafion concentration, we were able to control the replication fidelity of Nafion nanopatterns when copied from a PDMS master mold. We also found that cross-sectional morphology and ion current density of nanopatterned Nafion strongly depends on the fabrication parameters. To investigate this dependency, current-voltage analysis was conducted using organic electrochemical transistors (OECT) overlaid with patterned Nafion substrates. Nanopatterned Nafion was found to allow higher ion current densities than unpatterned surfaces. Furthermore, higher curing temperatures were found to render Nafion layers with higher ion/electrical transfer properties. To optimize nanopattern dimensions, electrical current flows, and film uniformity, a final configuration consisting of 5% nanopatterned Nafion cured at 65°C was chosen. Multielectrode arrays (MEAs) were then covered with optimized Nafion nanopatterns and used for electrophysiological analysis of two types of induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (iPSCs-CMs). These data highlight the suitability of nanopatterned Nafion, combined with MEAs, for enhancing the cellular environment of iPSC-CMs for use in electrophysiological analysis in vitro.

Engineering Microphysiological Immune System Responses on Chips

Tissues- and organs-on-chips are microphysiological systems (MPSs) that model the architectural and functional complexity of human tissues and organs that is lacking in conventional cell monolayer cultures. While substantial progress has been made in a variety of tissues and organs, chips recapitulating immune responses have not advanced as rapidly. This review discusses recent progress in MPSs for the investigation of immune responses. To illustrate recent developments, we focus on two cases in point: immunocompetent tumor microenvironment-on-a-chip devices that incorporate stromal and immune cell components and pathomimetic modeling of human mucosal immunity and inflammatory crosstalk. More broadly, we discuss the development of systems immunology-on-a-chip devices that integrate microfluidic engineering approaches with high-throughput omics measurements and emerging immunological applications of MPSs.