GSE201437
Physiological Calcium Combined with Electrical Pacing accelerates Maturation of Human Engineered Heart Tissue
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 simple method whereby  maturation of hiPSC-CMs can be accelerated by simultaneous application of  physiological Ca  2+  and frequency-ramped electrical pacing in culture. This  combination produces realistic force-frequency relationship, physiological twitch  kinetics, robust ß-adrenergic response, improved Ca  2+  handling, and cardiac  troponin I expression within 25 days. This study provides insights into the role of Ca  2+  in hiPSC-CM maturation and offers a scalable platform for translational and clinical  research. Overall design: Gene expression profile analysis of 4 experimental groups of engineered heart tissues (EHTs). The four groups are: High Calcium Ramp Pacing (HCRP), High Calcium No Pacing (HCNP), Low Calcium Ramp Pacing (LCRP) and Low Calcium No Pacing (LCNP)