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Salama ABM, Mohamed TMA. Editorial: Recent advances in cardiotoxicity testing, volume II. Front Pharmacol 2024; 15:1414373. [PMID: 38741588 PMCID: PMC11089214 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2024.1414373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2024] [Accepted: 04/16/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | - Tamer M. A. Mohamed
- Department of Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
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2
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van Doorn ECH, Amesz JH, Sadeghi AH, de Groot NMS, Manintveld OC, Taverne YJHJ. Preclinical Models of Cardiac Disease: A Comprehensive Overview for Clinical Scientists. Cardiovasc Eng Technol 2024; 15:232-249. [PMID: 38228811 PMCID: PMC11116217 DOI: 10.1007/s13239-023-00707-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/18/2024]
Abstract
For recent decades, cardiac diseases have been the leading cause of death and morbidity worldwide. Despite significant achievements in their management, profound understanding of disease progression is limited. The lack of biologically relevant and robust preclinical disease models that truly grasp the molecular underpinnings of cardiac disease and its pathophysiology attributes to this stagnation, as well as the insufficiency of platforms that effectively explore novel therapeutic avenues. The area of fundamental and translational cardiac research has therefore gained wide interest of scientists in the clinical field, while the landscape has rapidly evolved towards an elaborate array of research modalities, characterized by diverse and distinctive traits. As a consequence, current literature lacks an intelligible and complete overview aimed at clinical scientists that focuses on selecting the optimal platform for translational research questions. In this review, we present an elaborate overview of current in vitro, ex vivo, in vivo and in silico platforms that model cardiac health and disease, delineating their main benefits and drawbacks, innovative prospects, and foremost fields of application in the scope of clinical research incentives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa C H van Doorn
- Translational Cardiothoracic Surgery Research Lab, Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- Translational Electrophysiology Laboratory, Department of Cardiology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Jorik H Amesz
- Translational Cardiothoracic Surgery Research Lab, Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- Translational Electrophysiology Laboratory, Department of Cardiology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Amir H Sadeghi
- Translational Cardiothoracic Surgery Research Lab, Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Natasja M S de Groot
- Translational Electrophysiology Laboratory, Department of Cardiology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Cardiology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | | | - Yannick J H J Taverne
- Translational Cardiothoracic Surgery Research Lab, Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
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3
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Miller JM, Meki MM, El-Baz AS, Giridharan GA, Mohamed TMA. Culturing Cardiac Tissue Slices Under Continuous Physiological Mechanical Stretches. Methods Mol Biol 2024; 2803:61-74. [PMID: 38676885 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3846-0_5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/29/2024]
Abstract
Testing drugs in vivo and in vitro have been essential elements for the discovery of new therapeutics. Due to the recent advances in in vitro cell culture models, such as human-induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes and 3D multicell type organoid culture methods, the detection of adverse cardiac events prior to human clinical trials has improved. However, there are still numerous therapeutics whose adverse cardiac effects are not detected until human trials due to the inability of these cell cultures to fully model the complex multicellular organization of an intact human myocardium. Cardiac tissue slices are a possible alternative solution. Myocardial slices are a 300-micron thin snapshot of the myocardium, capturing a section of the adult heart in a 1 × 1 cm section. Using a culture method that incorporates essential nutrients and electrical stimulation, tissue slices can be maintained in culture for 6 days with full viability and functionality. With the addition of mechanical stimulation and humoral cues, tissue slices can be cultured for 12 days. Here we provide detailed methods for how to culture cardiac tissue slices under continuous mechanical stimulation in the cardiac tissue culture model (CTCM) device. The CTCM incorporates four essential factors for maintaining tissue slices in culture for 12 days: mechanical stimulation, electrical stimulation, nutrients, and humoral cues. The CTCM can also be used to model disease conditions, such as overstretch-induced cardiac hypertrophy. The versatility of the CTCM illustrates its potential to be a medium-throughput screening platform for personalized drug testing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica M Miller
- Institute of Molecular Cardiology, Department of Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA
| | - Mostafa M Meki
- Institute of Molecular Cardiology, Department of Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA
| | - Ayman S El-Baz
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA
| | | | - Tamer M A Mohamed
- Institute of Molecular Cardiology, Department of Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA.
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA.
- Surgery Department, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.
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4
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Shi R, Reichardt M, Fiegle DJ, Küpfer LK, Czajka T, Sun Z, Salditt T, Dendorfer A, Seidel T, Bruegmann T. Contractility measurements for cardiotoxicity screening with ventricular myocardial slices of pigs. Cardiovasc Res 2023; 119:2469-2481. [PMID: 37934066 PMCID: PMC10651213 DOI: 10.1093/cvr/cvad141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2022] [Revised: 05/22/2023] [Accepted: 07/10/2023] [Indexed: 11/08/2023] Open
Abstract
AIMS Cardiotoxicity is one major reason why drugs do not enter or are withdrawn from the market. Thus, approaches are required to predict cardiotoxicity with high specificity and sensitivity. Ideally, such methods should be performed within intact cardiac tissue with high relevance for humans and detect acute and chronic side effects on electrophysiological behaviour, contractility, and tissue structure in an unbiased manner. Herein, we evaluate healthy pig myocardial slices and biomimetic cultivation setups (BMCS) as a new cardiotoxicity screening approach. METHODS AND RESULTS Pig left ventricular samples were cut into slices and spanned into BMCS with continuous electrical pacing and online force recording. Automated stimulation protocols were established to determine the force-frequency relationship (FFR), frequency dependence of contraction duration, effective refractory period (ERP), and pacing threshold. Slices generated 1.3 ± 0.14 mN/mm2 force at 0.5 Hz electrical pacing and showed a positive FFR and a shortening of contraction duration with increasing pacing rates. Approximately 62% of slices were able to contract for at least 6 days while showing stable ERP, contraction duration-frequency relationship, and preserved cardiac structure confirmed by confocal imaging and X-ray diffraction analysis. We used specific blockers of the most important cardiac ion channels to determine which analysis parameters are influenced. To validate our approach, we tested five drug candidates selected from the Comprehensive in vitro Proarrhythmia Assay list as well as acetylsalicylic acid and DMSO as controls in a blinded manner in three independent laboratories. We were able to detect all arrhythmic drugs and their respective mode of action on cardiac tissue including inhibition of Na+, Ca2+, and hERG channels as well as Na+/Ca2+ exchanger. CONCLUSION We systematically evaluate this approach for cardiotoxicity screening, which is of high relevance for humans and can be upscaled to medium-throughput screening. Thus, our approach will improve the predictive value and efficiency of preclinical cardiotoxicity screening.
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Affiliation(s)
- Runzhu Shi
- Institute for Cardiovascular Physiology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Humboldtallee 23, 37073 Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
- International Research Training Group 1816, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Marius Reichardt
- Institute for Cardiovascular Physiology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Humboldtallee 23, 37073 Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
- Institute for X-ray Physics, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Dominik J Fiegle
- Institute of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Linda K Küpfer
- Institute of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Titus Czajka
- Institute for X-ray Physics, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Zhengwu Sun
- Walter-Brendel-Centre of Experimental Medicine, Hospital of the University Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Tim Salditt
- Institute for X-ray Physics, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence ‘Multiscale Bioimaging: from Molecular Machines to Networks of Excitable Cells’ (MBExC), University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Andreas Dendorfer
- Walter-Brendel-Centre of Experimental Medicine, Hospital of the University Munich, Munich, Germany
- German Centre of Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), Munich Heart Alliance, Munich, Germany
| | - Thomas Seidel
- Institute of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Tobias Bruegmann
- Institute for Cardiovascular Physiology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Humboldtallee 23, 37073 Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence ‘Multiscale Bioimaging: from Molecular Machines to Networks of Excitable Cells’ (MBExC), University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
- German Center for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), Partner site Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
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5
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Nunez-Toldra R, Del Canizo A, Secco I, Nicastro L, Giacca M, Terracciano CM. Living myocardial slices for the study of nucleic acid-based therapies. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2023; 11:1275945. [PMID: 37941724 PMCID: PMC10628718 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2023.1275945] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2023] [Accepted: 10/13/2023] [Indexed: 11/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Gene therapy based on viral vectors offers great potential for the study and the treatment of cardiac diseases. Here we explore the use of Living Myocardial Slices (LMS) as a platform for nucleic acid-based therapies. Rat LMS and Adeno-Associated viruses (AAV) were used to optimise and analyse gene transfer efficiency, viability, tissue functionality, and cell tropism in cardiac tissue. Human cardiac tissue from failing (dilated cardiomyopathy) hearts was also used to validate the model in a more translational setting. LMS were cultured at physiological sarcomere length for 72-h under electrical stimulation. Two recombinant AAV serotypes (AAV6 and AAV9) at different multiplicity of infection (MOI) expressing enhanced green fluorescent protein (eGFP) were added to the surface of rat LMS. AAV6 at 20,000 MOI proved to be the most suitable serotype without affecting LMS contractility or kinetics and showing high transduction and penetrability efficiency in rat LMS. This serotype exhibited 40% of transduction efficiency in cardiomyocytes and stromal cells while 20% of the endothelial cells were transduced. With great translational relevance, this protocol introduces the use of LMS as a model for nucleic acid-based therapies, allowing the acceleration of preclinical studies for cardiac diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- R. Nunez-Toldra
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - A. Del Canizo
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - I. Secco
- King’s College London, School of Cardiovascular Medicine and Sciences, London, United Kingdom
| | - L. Nicastro
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - M. Giacca
- King’s College London, School of Cardiovascular Medicine and Sciences, London, United Kingdom
| | - C. M. Terracciano
- National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
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6
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Cofiño-Fabres C, Passier R, Schwach V. Towards Improved Human In Vitro Models for Cardiac Arrhythmia: Disease Mechanisms, Treatment, and Models of Atrial Fibrillation. Biomedicines 2023; 11:2355. [PMID: 37760796 PMCID: PMC10525681 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11092355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2023] [Revised: 08/18/2023] [Accepted: 08/19/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Heart rhythm disorders, arrhythmias, place a huge economic burden on society and have a large impact on the quality of life of a vast number of people. Arrhythmias can have genetic causes but primarily arise from heart tissue remodeling during aging or heart disease. As current therapies do not address the causes of arrhythmias but only manage the symptoms, it is of paramount importance to generate innovative test models and platforms for gaining knowledge about the underlying disease mechanisms which are compatible with drug screening. In this review, we outline the most important features of atrial fibrillation (AFib), the most common cardiac arrhythmia. We will discuss the epidemiology, risk factors, underlying causes, and present therapies of AFib, as well as the shortcomings and opportunities of current models for cardiac arrhythmia, including animal models, in silico and in vitro models utilizing human pluripotent stem cell (hPSC)-derived cardiomyocytes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carla Cofiño-Fabres
- Department of Applied Stem Cell Technologies, TechMed Centre, University of Twente, Drienerlolaan 5, 7500 AE Enschede, The Netherlands;
| | - Robert Passier
- Department of Applied Stem Cell Technologies, TechMed Centre, University of Twente, Drienerlolaan 5, 7500 AE Enschede, The Netherlands;
- Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Leiden University Medical Centre, 2300 RC Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Verena Schwach
- Department of Applied Stem Cell Technologies, TechMed Centre, University of Twente, Drienerlolaan 5, 7500 AE Enschede, The Netherlands;
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7
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Zabielska-Kaczorowska MA, Bogucka AE, Macur K, Czaplewska P, Watson SA, Perbellini F, Terracciano CM, Smolenski RT. Label-free quantitative SWATH-MS proteomic analysis of adult myocardial slices in vitro after biomimetic electromechanical stimulation. Sci Rep 2022; 12:16533. [PMID: 36192624 PMCID: PMC9529937 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-20494-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2022] [Accepted: 09/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
A special in vitro model maintained with ultrathin cardiac slices with a preserved architecture, multi-cellularity, and physiology of the heart tissue was used. In our experiments, we performed label-free quantitative SWATH-MS proteomic analysis of the adult myocardial slices in vitro after biomimetic electromechanical stimulation. Rat myocardial slices were stretched to sarcomere lengths (SL) within the physiological range of 1.8–2.2 μm. Electromechanically stimulated slices were compared with slices cultured without electromechanical stimulation (unloaded and nonstimulated-TW) on a liquid–air interface and with fresh myocardial slices (0 h-C). Quantitative (relative) proteomic analyses were performed using a label-free SWATH-MS technique on a high-resolution microLC-MS/MS TripleTOF 5600+ system (SCIEX). The acquired MS/MS spectra from the DDA LC–MS/MS analyses of the rat heart samples were searched against the UniProt Rattus norvegicus database (version of 15.05.2018) using the Paragon algorithm incorporated into ProteinPilot 4.5 (SCIEX) software. The highest number of differential proteins was observed in the TW group—121 when compared to the C group. In the 1.8 and 2.2 groups, 79 and 52 proteins present at a significantly different concentration from the control samples were found, respectively. A substantial fraction of these proteins were common for two or more comparisons, resulting in a list of 169 significant proteins for at least one of the comparisons. This study found the most prominent changes in the proteomic pattern related to mitochondrial respiration, energy metabolism, and muscle contraction in the slices that were stretched and fresh myocardial slices cultured without electromechanical stimulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- M A Zabielska-Kaczorowska
- Department of Biochemistry, Medical University of Gdansk, Gdansk, Poland. .,Department of Physiology, Medical University of Gdansk, Gdansk, Poland.
| | - A E Bogucka
- Intercollegiate Faculty of Biotechnology, University of Gdansk and Medical University of Gdansk, Gdansk, Poland.,Institute of Biochemistry, Medical Faculty, Justus Liebig University of Giessen, Giessen, Germany
| | - K Macur
- Intercollegiate Faculty of Biotechnology, University of Gdansk and Medical University of Gdansk, Gdansk, Poland
| | - P Czaplewska
- Intercollegiate Faculty of Biotechnology, University of Gdansk and Medical University of Gdansk, Gdansk, Poland
| | - S A Watson
- National Heart & Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - F Perbellini
- Hannover Medical School, Institute of Molecular and Translational Therapeutic Strategies, Hannover, Germany
| | - C M Terracciano
- National Heart & Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - R T Smolenski
- Department of Biochemistry, Medical University of Gdansk, Gdansk, Poland
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8
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Miller JM, Meki MH, Elnakib A, Ou Q, Abouleisa RRE, Tang XL, Salama ABM, Gebreil A, Lin C, Abdeltawab H, Khalifa F, Hill BG, Abi-Gerges N, Bolli R, El-Baz AS, Giridharan GA, Mohamed TMA. Biomimetic cardiac tissue culture model (CTCM) to emulate cardiac physiology and pathophysiology ex vivo. Commun Biol 2022; 5:934. [PMID: 36085302 PMCID: PMC9463130 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-03919-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2022] [Accepted: 08/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
There is need for a reliable in vitro system that can accurately replicate the cardiac physiological environment for drug testing. The limited availability of human heart tissue culture systems has led to inaccurate interpretations of cardiac-related drug effects. Here, we developed a cardiac tissue culture model (CTCM) that can electro-mechanically stimulate heart slices with physiological stretches in systole and diastole during the cardiac cycle. After 12 days in culture, this approach partially improved the viability of heart slices but did not completely maintain their structural integrity. Therefore, following small molecule screening, we found that the incorporation of 100 nM tri-iodothyronine (T3) and 1 μM dexamethasone (Dex) into our culture media preserved the microscopic structure of the slices for 12 days. When combined with T3/Dex treatment, the CTCM system maintained the transcriptional profile, viability, metabolic activity, and structural integrity for 12 days at the same levels as the fresh heart tissue. Furthermore, overstretching the cardiac tissue induced cardiac hypertrophic signaling in culture, which provides a proof of concept for the ability of the CTCM to emulate cardiac stretch-induced hypertrophic conditions. In conclusion, CTCM can emulate cardiac physiology and pathophysiology in culture for an extended time, thereby enabling reliable drug screening.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica M Miller
- From the Institute of Molecular Cardiology, Department of Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Louisville, Louisville, USA
| | - Moustafa H Meki
- From the Institute of Molecular Cardiology, Department of Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Louisville, Louisville, USA
| | - Ahmed Elnakib
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Louisville, Louisville, USA
| | - Qinghui Ou
- From the Institute of Molecular Cardiology, Department of Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, USA
| | - Riham R E Abouleisa
- From the Institute of Molecular Cardiology, Department of Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, USA
| | - Xian-Liang Tang
- From the Institute of Molecular Cardiology, Department of Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, USA
| | - Abou Bakr M Salama
- From the Institute of Molecular Cardiology, Department of Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, USA
- Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig University, Zagazig, Egypt
| | - Ahmad Gebreil
- From the Institute of Molecular Cardiology, Department of Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, USA
| | - Cindy Lin
- From the Institute of Molecular Cardiology, Department of Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, USA
| | - Hisham Abdeltawab
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Louisville, Louisville, USA
| | - Fahmi Khalifa
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Louisville, Louisville, USA
| | - Bradford G Hill
- Envirome Institute, Diabetes and Obesity Center, Department of Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, USA
| | | | - Roberto Bolli
- From the Institute of Molecular Cardiology, Department of Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, USA
| | - Ayman S El-Baz
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Louisville, Louisville, USA
| | | | - Tamer M A Mohamed
- From the Institute of Molecular Cardiology, Department of Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, USA.
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Louisville, Louisville, USA.
- Envirome Institute, Diabetes and Obesity Center, Department of Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, USA.
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Louisville, Louisville, USA.
- Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom.
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9
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Reilly L, Munawar S, Zhang J, Crone WC, Eckhardt LL. Challenges and innovation: Disease modeling using human-induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes. Front Cardiovasc Med 2022; 9:966094. [PMID: 36035948 PMCID: PMC9411865 DOI: 10.3389/fcvm.2022.966094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2022] [Accepted: 07/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Disease modeling using human-induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs) has both challenges and promise. While patient-derived iPSC-CMs provide a unique opportunity for disease modeling with isogenic cells, the challenge is that these cells still demonstrate distinct properties which make it functionally less akin to adult cardiomyocytes. In response to this challenge, numerous innovations in differentiation and modification of hiPSC-CMs and culture techniques have been developed. Here, we provide a focused commentary on hiPSC-CMs for use in disease modeling, the progress made in generating electrically and metabolically mature hiPSC-CMs and enabling investigative platforms. The solutions are bringing us closer to the promise of modeling heart disease using human cells in vitro.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louise Reilly
- Cellular and Molecular Arrhythmia Research Program, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Saba Munawar
- Cellular and Molecular Arrhythmia Research Program, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Jianhua Zhang
- Cellular and Molecular Arrhythmia Research Program, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Wendy C. Crone
- Department of Engineering Physics, College of Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Lee L. Eckhardt
- Cellular and Molecular Arrhythmia Research Program, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States,*Correspondence: Lee L. Eckhardt
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10
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Mohr E, Thum T, Bär C. Accelerating Cardiovascular Research: Recent Advances in Translational 2D and 3D Heart Models. Eur J Heart Fail 2022; 24:1778-1791. [PMID: 35867781 DOI: 10.1002/ejhf.2631] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2022] [Revised: 06/30/2022] [Accepted: 07/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
In vitro modelling the complex (patho-) physiological conditions of the heart is a major challenge in cardiovascular research. In recent years, methods based on three-dimensional (3D) cultivation approaches have steadily evolved to overcome the major limitations of conventional adherent monolayer cultivation (2D). These 3D approaches aim to study, reproduce or modify fundamental native features of the heart such as tissue organization and cardiovascular microenvironment. Therefore, these systems have great potential for (patient-specific) disease research, for the development of new drug screening platforms, and for the use in regenerative and replacement therapy applications. Consequently, continuous improvement and adaptation is required with respect to fundamental limitations such as cardiomyocyte maturation, scalability, heterogeneity, vascularization, and reproduction of native properties. In this review, 2D monolayer culturing and the 3D in vitro systems of cardiac spheroids, organoids, engineered cardiac microtissue and bioprinting as well as the ex vivo technique of myocardial slicing are introduced with their basic concepts, advantages, and limitations. Furthermore, recent advances of various new approaches aiming to extend as well as to optimize these in vitro and ex vivo systems are presented. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa Mohr
- Institute of Molecular and Translational Therapeutic Strategies (IMTTS), Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg-Str.1, 30625, Hannover, Germany
| | - Thomas Thum
- Institute of Molecular and Translational Therapeutic Strategies (IMTTS), Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg-Str.1, 30625, Hannover, Germany.,REBIRTH Center for Translational Regenerative Medicine, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany.,Fraunhofer Institute for Toxicology and Experimental Medicine (ITEM), Hannover, Germany
| | - Christian Bär
- Institute of Molecular and Translational Therapeutic Strategies (IMTTS), Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg-Str.1, 30625, Hannover, Germany.,REBIRTH Center for Translational Regenerative Medicine, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany.,Fraunhofer Institute for Toxicology and Experimental Medicine (ITEM), Hannover, Germany
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11
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Consecutive-Day Ventricular and Atrial Cardiomyocyte Isolations from the Same Heart: Shifting the Cost-Benefit Balance of Cardiac Primary Cell Research. Cells 2022; 11:cells11020233. [PMID: 35053351 PMCID: PMC8773758 DOI: 10.3390/cells11020233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2021] [Revised: 01/03/2022] [Accepted: 01/05/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Freshly isolated primary cardiomyocytes (CM) are indispensable for cardiac research. Experimental CM research is generally incompatible with life of the donor animal, while human heart samples are usually small and scarce. CM isolation from animal hearts, traditionally performed by coronary artery perfusion of enzymes, liberates millions of cells from the heart. However, due to progressive cell remodeling following isolation, freshly isolated primary CM need to be used within 4-8 h post-isolation for most functional assays, meaning that the majority of cells is essentially wasted. In addition, coronary perfusion-based isolation cannot easily be applied to human tissue biopsies, and it does not straightforwardly allow for assessment of regional differences in CM function within the same heart. Here, we provide a method of multi-day CM isolation from one animal heart, yielding calcium-tolerant ventricular and atrial CM. This is based on cell isolation from cardiac tissue slices following repeated (usually overnight) storage of the tissue under conditions that prolong CM viability beyond the day of organ excision by two additional days. The maintenance of cells in their near-native microenvironment slows the otherwise rapid structural and functional decline seen in isolated CM during attempts for prolonged storage or culture. Multi-day slice-based CM isolation increases the amount of useful information gained per animal heart, improving reproducibility and reducing the number of experimental animals required in basic cardiac research. It also opens the doors to novel experimental designs, including exploring same-heart regional differences.
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