Assaying cardiac biomarkers for toxicity testing using biosensing and cardiomyocytes derived from human embryonic stem cells

Human embryonic stem cell (hESC) derived cardiomyocytes are in the present study being used for testing drug-induced cardiotoxicity in a biosensor set-up. The design of an in vitro testing alternative provides a novel opportunity to surpass previous methods based on rodent cells or cell lines due to its significantly higher toxicological relevance. In this report we demonstrate how hESC-derived cardiomyocytes release detectable levels of two clinically decisive cardiac biomarkers, cardiac troponin T and fatty acid binding protein 3, when the cardiac cells are exposed to the well-known cardioactive drug compound, doxorubicin. The release is monitored by the immuno-biosensor technique surface plasmon resonance, particularly appropriate due to its capacity for parallel and high-throughput analysis in complex media.