1
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Wu Q, Xue R, Zhao Y, Ramsay K, Wang EY, Savoji H, Veres T, Cartmell SH, Radisic M. Automated fabrication of a scalable heart-on-a-chip device by 3D printing of thermoplastic elastomer nanocomposite and hot embossing. Bioact Mater 2024; 33:46-60. [PMID: 38024233 PMCID: PMC10654006 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioactmat.2023.10.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2023] [Revised: 10/11/2023] [Accepted: 10/18/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The successful translation of organ-on-a-chip devices requires the development of an automated workflow for device fabrication, which is challenged by the need for precise deposition of multiple classes of materials in micro-meter scaled configurations. Many current heart-on-a-chip devices are produced manually, requiring the expertise and dexterity of skilled operators. Here, we devised an automated and scalable fabrication method to engineer a Biowire II multiwell platform to generate human iPSC-derived cardiac tissues. This high-throughput heart-on-a-chip platform incorporated fluorescent nanocomposite microwires as force sensors, produced from quantum dots and thermoplastic elastomer, and 3D printed on top of a polystyrene tissue culture base patterned by hot embossing. An array of built-in carbon electrodes was embedded in a single step into the base, flanking the microwells on both sides. The facile and rapid 3D printing approach efficiently and seamlessly scaled up the Biowire II system from an 8-well chip to a 24-well and a 96-well format, resulting in an increase of platform fabrication efficiency by 17,5000-69,000% per well. The device's compatibility with long-term electrical stimulation in each well facilitated the targeted generation of mature human iPSC-derived cardiac tissues, evident through a positive force-frequency relationship, post-rest potentiation, and well-aligned sarcomeric apparatus. This system's ease of use and its capacity to gauge drug responses in matured cardiac tissue make it a powerful and reliable platform for rapid preclinical drug screening and development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qinghua Wu
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 3G9, Canada
- Toronto General Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, M5G 2C4, Canada
| | - Ruikang Xue
- Department of Materials, School of Natural Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering and The Henry Royce Institute, Royce Hub Building, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Yimu Zhao
- Toronto General Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, M5G 2C4, Canada
| | - Kaitlyn Ramsay
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 3G9, Canada
| | - Erika Yan Wang
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Houman Savoji
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, University of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, H3T 1J4, Canada
- Research Center, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Sainte-Justine, Montreal, Quebec, H3T 1C5, Canada
- Montreal TransMedTech Institute, Montreal, Quebec, H3T 1J4, Canada
| | - Teodor Veres
- National Research Council of Canada, Boucherville, QC, J4B 6Y4, Canada
- Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 3G8, Canada
| | - Sarah H. Cartmell
- Department of Materials, School of Natural Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering and The Henry Royce Institute, Royce Hub Building, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Milica Radisic
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 3G9, Canada
- Toronto General Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, M5G 2C4, Canada
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 3E5, Canada
- Terrence Donnelly Centre for Cellular & Biomolecular Research, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 3E1, Canada
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2
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Osten F, Weber N, Wendland M, Holler T, Piep B, Kröhn S, Teske J, Bodenschatz AK, Devadas SB, Menge KS, Chatterjee S, Schwanke K, Kosanke M, Montag J, Thum T, Zweigerdt R, Kraft T, Iorga B, Meissner JD. Myosin expression and contractile function are altered by replating stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes. J Gen Physiol 2023; 155:e202313377. [PMID: 37656049 PMCID: PMC10473967 DOI: 10.1085/jgp.202313377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2023] [Revised: 06/16/2023] [Accepted: 07/19/2023] [Indexed: 09/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Myosin heavy chain (MyHC) is the main determinant of contractile function. Human ventricular cardiomyocytes (CMs) predominantly express the β-isoform. We previously demonstrated that ∼80% of human embryonic stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hESC-CMs) express exclusively β-MyHC after long-term culture on laminin-coated glass coverslips. Here, we investigated the impact of enzymatically detaching hESC-CMs after long-term culture and subsequently replating them for characterization of cellular function. We observed that force-related kinetic parameters, as measured in a micromechanical setup, resembled α- rather than β-MyHC-expressing myofibrils, as well as changes in calcium transients. Single-cell immunofluorescence analysis revealed that replating hESC-CMs led to rapid upregulation of α-MyHC, as indicated by increases in exclusively α-MyHC- and in mixed α/β-MyHC-expressing hESC-CMs. A comparable increase in heterogeneity of MyHC isoform expression was also found among individual human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-derived CMs after replating. Changes in MyHC isoform expression and cardiomyocyte function induced by replating were reversible in the course of the second week after replating. Gene enrichment analysis based on RNA-sequencing data revealed changes in the expression profile of mechanosensation/-transduction-related genes and pathways, especially integrin-associated signaling. Accordingly, the integrin downstream mediator focal adhesion kinase (FAK) promoted β-MyHC expression on a stiff matrix, further validating gene enrichment analysis. To conclude, detachment and replating induced substantial changes in gene expression, MyHC isoform composition, and function of long-term cultivated human stem cell-derived CMs, thus inducing alterations in mechanosensation/-transduction, that need to be considered, particularly for downstream in vitro assays.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felix Osten
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Physiology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Natalie Weber
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Physiology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
- Institute of Molecular and Translational Therapeutic Strategies (IMTTS), Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Meike Wendland
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Physiology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Tim Holler
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Physiology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Birgit Piep
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Physiology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Simon Kröhn
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Physiology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Jana Teske
- Department of Cardiothoracic, Transplantation and Vascular Surgery, Leibniz Research Laboratories for Biotechnology and Artificial Organs (LEBAO), Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Alea K. Bodenschatz
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Physiology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Santoshi Biswanath Devadas
- Department of Cardiothoracic, Transplantation and Vascular Surgery, Leibniz Research Laboratories for Biotechnology and Artificial Organs (LEBAO), Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Kaja S. Menge
- Institute of Molecular and Translational Therapeutic Strategies (IMTTS), Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Shambhabi Chatterjee
- Institute of Molecular and Translational Therapeutic Strategies (IMTTS), Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Kristin Schwanke
- Department of Cardiothoracic, Transplantation and Vascular Surgery, Leibniz Research Laboratories for Biotechnology and Artificial Organs (LEBAO), Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Maike Kosanke
- Research Core Unit Genomics, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Judith Montag
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Physiology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Thomas Thum
- Institute of Molecular and Translational Therapeutic Strategies (IMTTS), Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
- REBIRTH Center for Translational Regenerative Therapies, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
- Fraunhofer Institute for Toxicology and Experimental Medicine, Hannover, Germany
| | - Robert Zweigerdt
- Department of Cardiothoracic, Transplantation and Vascular Surgery, Leibniz Research Laboratories for Biotechnology and Artificial Organs (LEBAO), Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Theresia Kraft
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Physiology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Bogdan Iorga
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Physiology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
- Department of Analytical Chemistry and Physical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Bucharest, Bucharest, Romania
| | - Joachim D. Meissner
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Physiology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
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3
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Shen S, Shao S, Papadaki M, Kirk JA, Campbell SG. Evaluation of Porcine Psoas Major as a Scaffold Material for Engineered Heart Tissues. Tissue Eng Part C Methods 2023; 29:459-468. [PMID: 37450340 PMCID: PMC10618816 DOI: 10.1089/ten.tec.2023.0064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2023] [Accepted: 07/10/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Decellularized porcine myocardium is commonly used as scaffolding for engineered heart tissues (EHTs). However, structural and mechanical heterogeneity in the myocardium complicate production of mechanically consistent tissues. In this study, we evaluate the porcine psoas major muscle (tenderloin) as an alternative scaffold material. Head-to-head comparison of decellularized tenderloin and ventricular scaffolds showed only minor differences in mean biomechanical characteristics, but tenderloin scaffolds were less variable and less dependent on the region of origin than ventricular samples. The active contractile behavior of EHTs made by seeding tenderloin versus ventricular scaffolds with human-induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes was also comparable, with only minor differences observed. Collectively, the data reveal that the behavior of EHTs produced from decellularized porcine psoas muscle is almost identical to those made from porcine left ventricular myocardium, with the advantages of being more homogeneous, biomechanically consistent, and readily obtainable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shi Shen
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Stephanie Shao
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Maria Papadaki
- Department of Cell and Molecular Physiology, Loyola University Stritch School of Medicine, Maywood, Illinois, USA
| | - Jonathan A. Kirk
- Department of Cell and Molecular Physiology, Loyola University Stritch School of Medicine, Maywood, Illinois, USA
| | - Stuart G. Campbell
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
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4
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Zhao Y, Wang EY, Lai FBL, Cheung K, Radisic M. Organs-on-a-chip: a union of tissue engineering and microfabrication. Trends Biotechnol 2023; 41:410-424. [PMID: 36725464 PMCID: PMC9985977 DOI: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2022.12.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2022] [Revised: 12/23/2022] [Accepted: 12/27/2022] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
We review the emergence of the new field of organ-on-a-chip (OOAC) engineering, from the parent fields of tissue engineering and microfluidics. We place into perspective the tools and capabilities brought into the OOAC field by early tissue engineers and microfluidics experts. Liver-on-a-chip and heart-on-a-chip are used as two case studies of systems that heavily relied on tissue engineering techniques and that were amongst the first OOAC models to be implemented, motivated by the need to better assess toxicity to human tissues in preclinical drug development. We review current challenges in OOAC that often stem from the same challenges in the parent fields, such as stable vascularization and drug absorption.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yimu Zhao
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3G9, Canada; Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario M5G 2C4, Canada
| | - Erika Yan Wang
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Fook B L Lai
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3G9, Canada
| | - Krisco Cheung
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3G9, Canada
| | - Milica Radisic
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3G9, Canada; Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario M5G 2C4, Canada; Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3E5, Canada.
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5
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Shen S, Sewanan LR, Shao S, Halder SS, Stankey P, Li X, Campbell SG. Physiological calcium combined with electrical pacing accelerates maturation of human engineered heart tissue. Stem Cell Reports 2022; 17:2037-2049. [PMID: 35931080 PMCID: PMC9481907 DOI: 10.1016/j.stemcr.2022.07.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2021] [Revised: 07/08/2022] [Accepted: 07/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Human-induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs) have wide potential application in basic research, drug discovery, and regenerative medicine, but functional maturation remains challenging. Here, we present a method whereby maturation of hiPSC-CMs can be accelerated by simultaneous application of physiological Ca2+ and frequency-ramped electrical pacing in culture. This combination produces positive force-frequency behavior, physiological twitch kinetics, robust β-adrenergic response, improved Ca2+ handling, and cardiac troponin I expression within 25 days. This study provides insights into the role of Ca2+ in hiPSC-CM maturation and offers a scalable platform for translational and clinical research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shi Shen
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yale University, 55 Prospect St. MEC 211, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
| | - Lorenzo R Sewanan
- Department of Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Stephanie Shao
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yale University, 55 Prospect St. MEC 211, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
| | - Saiti S Halder
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yale University, 55 Prospect St. MEC 211, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
| | - Paul Stankey
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA; John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Xia Li
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yale University, 55 Prospect St. MEC 211, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
| | - Stuart G Campbell
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yale University, 55 Prospect St. MEC 211, New Haven, CT 06511, USA; Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.
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6
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Riaz M, Park J, Sewanan LR, Ren Y, Schwan J, Das SK, Pomianowski PT, Huang Y, Ellis MW, Luo J, Liu J, Song L, Chen IP, Qiu C, Yazawa M, Tellides G, Hwa J, Young LH, Yang L, Marboe CC, Jacoby DL, Campbell SG, Qyang Y. Muscle LIM Protein Force-Sensing Mediates Sarcomeric Biomechanical Signaling in Human Familial Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy. Circulation 2022; 145:1238-1253. [PMID: 35384713 PMCID: PMC9109819 DOI: 10.1161/circulationaha.121.056265] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Familial hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is the most common inherited cardiac disease and is typically caused by mutations in genes encoding sarcomeric proteins that regulate cardiac contractility. HCM manifestations include left ventricular hypertrophy and heart failure, arrythmias, and sudden cardiac death. How dysregulated sarcomeric force production is sensed and leads to pathological remodeling remains poorly understood in HCM, thereby inhibiting the efficient development of new therapeutics. METHODS Our discovery was based on insights from a severe phenotype of an individual with HCM and a second genetic alteration in a sarcomeric mechanosensing protein. We derived cardiomyocytes from patient-specific induced pluripotent stem cells and developed robust engineered heart tissues by seeding induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes into a laser-cut scaffold possessing native cardiac fiber alignment to study human cardiac mechanobiology at both the cellular and tissue levels. Coupled with computational modeling for muscle contraction and rescue of disease phenotype by gene editing and pharmacological interventions, we have identified a new mechanotransduction pathway in HCM, shown to be essential in modulating the phenotypic expression of HCM in 5 families bearing distinct sarcomeric mutations. RESULTS Enhanced actomyosin crossbridge formation caused by sarcomeric mutations in cardiac myosin heavy chain (MYH7) led to increased force generation, which, when coupled with slower twitch relaxation, destabilized the MLP (muscle LIM protein) stretch-sensing complex at the Z-disc. Subsequent reduction in the sarcomeric muscle LIM protein level caused disinhibition of calcineurin-nuclear factor of activated T-cells signaling, which promoted cardiac hypertrophy. We demonstrate that the common muscle LIM protein-W4R variant is an important modifier, exacerbating the phenotypic expression of HCM, but alone may not be a disease-causing mutation. By mitigating enhanced actomyosin crossbridge formation through either genetic or pharmacological means, we alleviated stress at the Z-disc, preventing the development of hypertrophy associated with sarcomeric mutations. CONCLUSIONS Our studies have uncovered a novel biomechanical mechanism through which dysregulated sarcomeric force production is sensed and leads to pathological signaling, remodeling, and hypertrophic responses. Together, these establish the foundation for developing innovative mechanism-based treatments for HCM that stabilize the Z-disc MLP-mechanosensory complex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Riaz
- Yale Cardiovascular Research Center, Section of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- Yale Stem Cell Center, New Haven, CT, USA
- Department of Pathology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- Vascular Biology and Therapeutics Program, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Jinkyu Park
- Yale Cardiovascular Research Center, Section of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- Yale Stem Cell Center, New Haven, CT, USA
- Department of Pathology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- Vascular Biology and Therapeutics Program, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Lorenzo R. Sewanan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Yongming Ren
- Yale Cardiovascular Research Center, Section of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- Yale Stem Cell Center, New Haven, CT, USA
- Department of Pathology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- Vascular Biology and Therapeutics Program, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Jonas Schwan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Subhash K. Das
- Yale Cardiovascular Research Center, Section of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- Yale Stem Cell Center, New Haven, CT, USA
- Department of Pathology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- Vascular Biology and Therapeutics Program, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | | | - Yan Huang
- Yale Cardiovascular Research Center, Section of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- Yale Stem Cell Center, New Haven, CT, USA
- Department of Pathology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- Vascular Biology and Therapeutics Program, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Matthew W. Ellis
- Yale Cardiovascular Research Center, Section of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- Yale Stem Cell Center, New Haven, CT, USA
- Vascular Biology and Therapeutics Program, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Jiesi Luo
- Yale Cardiovascular Research Center, Section of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- Yale Stem Cell Center, New Haven, CT, USA
- Department of Pathology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- Vascular Biology and Therapeutics Program, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Juli Liu
- Department of Pediatrics, Anatomy and Cell Biology, Indiana University, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Loujin Song
- Department of Rehabilitation and Regenerative Medicine, Columbia Stem Cell Initiative, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - I-Ping Chen
- Department of Oral Health and Diagnostic Sciences, University of Connecticut Health, Farmington, CT, USA
| | | | - Masayuki Yazawa
- Department of Rehabilitation and Regenerative Medicine, Columbia Stem Cell Initiative, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | | | - John Hwa
- Yale Cardiovascular Research Center, Section of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- Vascular Biology and Therapeutics Program, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Lawrence H. Young
- Yale Cardiovascular Research Center, Section of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Lei Yang
- Department of Pediatrics, Anatomy and Cell Biology, Indiana University, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Charles C. Marboe
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Daniel L. Jacoby
- Yale Cardiovascular Research Center, Section of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Stuart G. Campbell
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Yibing Qyang
- Yale Cardiovascular Research Center, Section of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- Yale Stem Cell Center, New Haven, CT, USA
- Department of Pathology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- Vascular Biology and Therapeutics Program, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
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7
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Sewanan LR, Park J, Rynkiewicz MJ, Racca AW, Papoutsidakis N, Schwan J, Jacoby DL, Moore JR, Lehman W, Qyang Y, Campbell SG. Loss of crossbridge inhibition drives pathological cardiac hypertrophy in patients harboring the TPM1 E192K mutation. J Gen Physiol 2021; 153:212516. [PMID: 34319370 PMCID: PMC8321830 DOI: 10.1085/jgp.202012640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2020] [Revised: 06/14/2021] [Accepted: 07/09/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is an inherited disorder caused primarily by mutations to thick and thinfilament proteins. Although thin filament mutations are less prevalent than their oft-studied thick filament counterparts, they are frequently associated with severe patient phenotypes and can offer important insight into fundamental disease mechanisms. We have performed a detailed study of tropomyosin (TPM1) E192K, a variant of uncertain significance associated with HCM. Molecular dynamics revealed that E192K results in a more flexible TPM1 molecule, which could affect its ability to regulate crossbridges. In vitro motility assays of regulated actin filaments containing TPM1 E192K showed an overall loss of Ca2+ sensitivity. To understand these effects, we used multiscale computational models that suggested a subtle phenotype in which E192K leads to an inability to completely inhibit actin-myosin crossbridge activity at low Ca2+. To assess the physiological impact of the mutation, we generated patient-derived engineered heart tissues expressing E192K. These tissues showed disease features similar to those of the patients, including cellular hypertrophy, hypercontractility, and diastolic dysfunction. We hypothesized that excess residual crossbridge activity could be triggering cellular hypertrophy, even if the overall Ca2+ sensitivity was reduced by E192K. To test this hypothesis, the cardiac myosin-specific inhibitor mavacamten was applied to patient-derived engineered heart tissues for 4 d followed by 24 h of washout. Chronic mavacamten treatment abolished contractile differences between control and TPM1 E192K engineered heart tissues and reversed hypertrophy in cardiomyocytes. These results suggest that the TPM1 E192K mutation triggers cardiomyocyte hypertrophy by permitting excess residual crossbridge activity. These studies also provide direct evidence that myosin inhibition by mavacamten can counteract the hypertrophic effects of mutant tropomyosin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorenzo R Sewanan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, CT
| | - Jinkyu Park
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Cardiovascular Medicine, Yale Cardiovascular Research Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT.,Yale Stem Cell Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT
| | - Michael J Rynkiewicz
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA
| | - Alice W Racca
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Lowell, MA
| | - Nikolaos Papoutsidakis
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Cardiovascular Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT
| | - Jonas Schwan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, CT
| | - Daniel L Jacoby
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Cardiovascular Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT
| | - Jeffrey R Moore
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Lowell, MA
| | - William Lehman
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA
| | - Yibing Qyang
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Cardiovascular Medicine, Yale Cardiovascular Research Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT.,Yale Stem Cell Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT.,Vascular Biology and Therapeutics Program, Yale University, New Haven, CT.,Department of Pathology, Yale University, New Haven, CT
| | - Stuart G Campbell
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, CT.,Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT
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8
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Sewanan LR, Shen S, Campbell SG. Mavacamten preserves length-dependent contractility and improves diastolic function in human engineered heart tissue. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 2021; 320:H1112-H1123. [PMID: 33449850 DOI: 10.1152/ajpheart.00325.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Comprehensive functional characterization of cardiac tissue includes investigation of length and load dependence. Such measurements have been slow to develop in engineered heart tissues (EHTs), whose mechanical characterizations have been limited primarily to isometric and near-isometric behaviors. A more realistic assessment of myocardial function would include force-velocity curves to characterize power output and force-length loops mimicking the cardiac cycle to characterize work output. We developed a system that produces force-velocity curves and work loops in human EHTs using an adaptive iterative control scheme. We used human EHTs in this system to perform a detailed characterization of the cardiac β-myosin specific inhibitor, mavacamten. Consistent with the clinically proposed application of this drug to treat hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, our data support the premise that mavacamten improves diastolic function through reduction of diastolic stiffness and isometric relaxation time. Meanwhile, the effects of mavacamten on length- and load-dependent muscle performance were mixed. The drug attenuated the length-dependent response at small stretch values but showed normal length dependency at longer lengths. Peak power output of mavacamten-treated EHTs showed reduced power output as expected but also shifted peak power output to a lower load. Here, we demonstrate a robust method for the generation of isotonic contraction series and work loops in engineered heart tissues using an adaptive-iterative method. This approach reveals new features of mavacamten pharmacology, including previously unappreciated effects on intrinsic myosin dynamics and preservation of Frank-Starling behavior at longer muscle lengths.NEW & NOTEWORTHY We applied innovative methods to comprehensively characterize the length and load-dependent behaviors of engineered human cardiac muscle when treated with the cardiac β-myosin specific inhibitor mavacamten, a drug on the verge of clinical implementation for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. We find mechanistic support for the role of mavacamten in improving diastolic function of cardiac tissue and note novel effects on work and power.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorenzo R Sewanan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Shi Shen
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Stuart G Campbell
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut.,Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
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