Berlin 2018 – scientific programme
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BP: Fachverband Biologische Physik
BP 10: Postersession II
BP 10.30: Poster
Monday, March 12, 2018, 17:30–19:30, Poster C
Mechanical Coupling of Human Embryonic Stem Cell Derived Cardiomyocytes — •Heidi Somsel1, Wolfram-Hubertus Zimmermann2, and Christoph F. Schmidt1 — 1Drittes Physikalisches Institut - Biophysik, Fakultät für Physik, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen — 2Institut für Pharmakologie und Toxikologie, Universitätsmedizin Göttingen, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen
In the United States, someone suffers a myocardial infarction every 40 seconds[1]. A major long-term effect of these infarctions is scar tissue with a stiffness (40 kPa) that is larger than the surrounding myocardium (15 kPa). These scars strongly interfere with heart function.
Mechanical coupling between CMs is believed to play an important role in stabilizing the global contraction of the heart[3]. In this study, we aim to understand mechanical coupling and synchronization between neighboring pairs of CMs. Human embryonic stem cell (hESC) derived CMs were plated on PDMS substrates in geometries with physiological aspect ratios. The Young's moduli of the underlying substrate were varied from those of the healthy heart (15 kPa) to infarcted tissue (45 kPa) to model the reaction of CMs in response to these different myocardial regimes. We found synchronization in frequency and phase between neighboring cells. 1] Benjamin, E., et al.(2017). 2] Riegler, J., et al.(2015). 3] Nitsan, I., et al.(2016).