Surface Topography Obtained with High Throughput Technology for hiPSC-Derived Cardiomyocyte Conditioning

The use of human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CM) to replace myocardial tissue after an infarct holds great promises. However, hiPSC-CM are phenotypically immature when compared to cells in the adult heart, hampering their clinical application. We aimed to develop and test a surface structuring technique that would improve hiPSC-CM structural maturation. Laser ablation was used to fabricate a micron-pattern on polyurethane surface and evaluated cell morphology, orientation and F-actin assemblage to detect phenotypic changes in response to the microtopography. This topography positively influenced cell morphology regarding to spreading area and elongation, and hiPSC-CM orientation, improving their structural maturation. The methodology thus presented has relatively low cost and is easily scalable, making it relevant for high-throughput applications such as drug screening for the pharma industry.