Cardiotoxicity screening with simultaneous optogenetic pacing, voltage imaging and calcium imaging.

INTRODUCTION: The Comprehensive in vitro Proarrhythmia Assay (CiPA) initiative seeks an in vitro test to accurately predict clinical Torsades de Pointes (TdP). We developed a cardiotoxicity assay incorporating simultaneous measurement of the action potential (AP) waveform and Ca(2+) transient (CT) in human iPSC-derived cardiomyocytes (CMs). Concurrent optogenetic pacing provided a well-controlled electrophysiological background. METHODS: We used the Optopatch platform for all-optical electrophysiology (Hochbaum et al., 2014). In a monolayer culture, a subset of cells expressed a genetically encoded, calcium and voltage reporter, CaViar (Hou, Kralj, Douglass, Engert, & Cohen, 2014), while others expressed a channelrhodopsin variant, CheRiff. Optical pacing of CheRiff-expressing cells synchronized the syncytium. We screened 12 compounds (11 acute, 1 chronic) to identify electrophysiological (AP rise time, AP50, AP90, beat rate) and CT effects in spontaneously beating and paced cultures (1Hz, 2Hz). RESULTS: CaViar reported spontaneous and paced APs and CTs with high signal-to-noise ratio and low phototoxicity. Quinidine, flecainide, E-4031, digoxin and cisapride prolonged APs, while verapamil and nifedipine shortened APs. Early after depolarizations (EADs) were elicited by quinidine, flecainide and cisapride. All but four compounds (amiodarone, chromanol, nifedipine, verapamil) prolonged AP rise time. Nifedipine and verapamil decreased CT amplitude, while digoxin increased CT amplitude. Pentamidine prolonged APs after chronic exposure. DISCUSSION: The Optopatch platform provides a robust assay to measure APs and CTs in hiPSC-CMs. This addresses the CiPA mandate and will facilitate comparisons of cell-based assays to human clinical data.

High-throughput screening in embryonic stem cell-derived neurons identifies potentiators of alpha-amino-3-hydroxyl-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionate-type glutamate receptors.

Stem cell biology offers advantages to investigators seeking to identify new therapeutic molecules. Specifically, stem cells are genetically stable, scalable for molecular screening, and function in cellular assays for drug efficacy and safety. A key hurdle for drug discoverers of central nervous system disease is a lack of high quality neuronal cells. In the central nervous system, alpha-amino-3-hydroxyl-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionate (AMPA) subtype glutamate receptors mediate the vast majority of excitatory neurotransmissions. Embryonic stem (ES) cell protocols were developed to differentiate into neuronal subtypes that express AMPA receptors and were pharmacologically responsive to standard compounds for AMPA potentiation. Therefore, we hypothesized that stem cell-derived neurons should be predictive in high-throughput screens (HTSs). Here, we describe a murine ES cell-based HTS of a 2.4 x 10(6) compound library, the identification of novel chemical "hits" for AMPA potentiation, structure function relationship of compounds and receptors, and validation of chemical leads in secondary assays using human ES cell-derived neurons. This reporting of murine ES cell derivatives being formatted to deliver HTS of greater than 10(6) compounds for a specific drug target conclusively demonstrates a new application for stem cells in drug discovery. In the future new molecular entities may be screened directly in human ES or induced pluripotent stem cell derivatives.

Embryonic stem cells in predictive cardiotoxicity: laser capture microscopy enables assay development.

Embryonic stem (ES) cells offer unprecedented opportunities for in vitro drug discovery and safety assessment of compounds. Cardiomyocytes derived from ES cells enable development of predictive cardiotoxicity models to increase the safety of novel drugs. Heterogeneity of differentiated ES cells limits the development of reliable in vitro models for compound screening. We report an innovative and robust approach to isolate ES-derived cardiomyocytes using laser microdissection and pressure catapulting (LMPC). LMPC cells were readily applied onto 96-well format in vitro pharmacology assays. The expression of developmental and functional cardiac markers, Nkx 2.5, MLC2V, GATA-4, Connexin 43, Connexin 45, Serca-2a, cardiac alpha actin, and phospholamban, among others, was confirmed in LMPC ES-derived cardiomyocytes. Functional assays exhibited cardiac-like response to increased extracellular calcium (5.4 mM extracellular Ca2+) and L-type calcium channel antagonist (1 microM nifedipine). In conclusion, laser microdissection and pressure catapulting is a robust technology to isolate homogeneous ES-derived cell types from heterogeneous populations applicable to assay development.

Targeted disruption of the osteoblast/osteocyte factor 45 gene (OF45) results in increased bone formation and bone mass.

We have previously described osteoblast/osteocyte factor 45 (OF45), a novel bone-specific extracellular matrix protein, and demonstrated that its expression is tightly linked to mineralization and bone formation. In this report, we have cloned and characterized the mouse OF45 cDNA and genomic region. Mouse OF45 (also called MEPE) was similar to its rat orthologue in that its expression was increased during mineralization in osteoblast cultures and the protein was highly expressed within the osteocytes that are imbedded within bone. To further determine the role of OF45 in bone metabolism, we generated a targeted mouse line deficient in this protein. Ablation of OF45 resulted in increased bone mass. In fact, disruption of only a single allele of OF45 caused significantly increased bone mass. In addition, knockout mice were resistant to aging-associated trabecular bone loss. Cancellous bone histomorphometry revealed that the increased bone mass was the result of increased osteoblast number and osteoblast activity with unaltered osteoclast number and osteoclast surface in knockout animals. Consistent with the bone histomorphometric results, we also determined that OF45 knockout osteoblasts produced significantly more mineralized nodules in ex vivo cell cultures than did wild type osteoblasts. Osteoclastogenesis and bone resorption in ex vivo cultures was unaffected by OF45 mutation. We conclude that OF45 plays an inhibitory role in bone formation in mouse.