Pacemaker cell regulation
Functional maturation for enhanced and rhythmic electrical activity
4DCELL DEVICE
Coverslips coated with microstructured gels
READ-OUTS
Constrain of cell size in a substrate of a defined stiffness, functional electrical properties preservation.
STANDARD CULTURE LIMITATION
Cardiac pacemaker cells undergo a series of cytoarchitectural patterning events during cardiogenesis that are critical for proper electrical excitability. Cell size regulation – which is scarcely under control in standard cell culture conditions – is crucial for their functional maturation.
CARDIAC PACEMAKER CELLS CYTOARCHITECTURE REGULATION ASSAY
Maintenance of small cell size is beneficial for preserving the potential for high-rate and rhythmic activity in cardiac pacemaker cells.
EXAMPLE
Regulation of cardiac pacemaker cell (CPC) size on 50 kPa polyacrylamide gels with round microwells [1].
CPC size was constrained over the culture period on 50 kPa micropatterned (MP) gels. Maintaining small cell size preserved function, as revealed by calcium transient rate quantification.