Mirroring Action Potentials: Label‐Free, Accurate, and Noninvasive Electrophysiological Recordings of Human‐Derived Cardiomyocytes. Issue 7 (6th January 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Barbaglia, Andrea; Dipalo, Michele; Melle, Giovanni; Iachetta, Giuseppina; Deleye, Lieselot; Hubarevich, Aliaksandr; Toma, Andrea; Tantussi, Francesco; De Angelis, Francesco
• Is Part Of: Advanced materials. Volume 33:Issue 7(2021)
• Page Start: n/a
• Page End: n/a
• Publication Date: 2021-01-06
• Subjects: action potential recording -- electrophysiology -- fluorescence optical recording -- in vitro toxicology; Materials -- Periodicals; Chemical vapor deposition -- Periodicals; 620.11
• DOI: 10.1002/adma.202004234
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0935-9648

Abstract

Abstract: The electrophysiological recording of action potentials in human cells is a long‐sought objective due to its pivotal importance in many disciplines. Among the developed techniques, invasiveness remains a common issue, causing cytotoxicity or altering unpredictably cell physiological response. In this work, a new approach for recording intracellular signals of outstanding quality and with noninvasiveness is introduced. By taking profit of the concept of mirror charge in classical electrodynamics, the new proposed device transduces cell ionic currents into mirror charges in a microfluidic chamber, thus realizing a virtual mirror cell. By monitoring mirror charge dynamics, it is possible to effectively record the action potentials fired by the cells. Since there is no need for accessing or interacting with the cells, the method is intrinsically noninvasive. In addition, being based on optical recording, it shows high spatial resolution and high parallelization. As shown through a set of experiments, the presented methodology is an ideal candidate for the next generation devices for the reliable assessment of cardiotoxicity on human‐derived cardiomyocytes. More generally, it paves the way toward a new family of in vitro biodevices that will lay a new milestone in the field of electrophysiology. Abstract : A new electrophysiology paradigm transduces cellular action potentials into optical signals by mirroring the cellular ionic currents into the motion of fluorophores in a separate fluid. The resulting optical signals (mirror action potentials) offer an accurate, noninvasive measurement of the cells' action potentials. This methodology, successfully tested on human‐derived cardiomyocytes, is an ideal candidate for noninvasive optical drug screenings.