Anna Strano

Mar 21, 2025 | nature.com | Wener Li |Xiaojing Luo |Anna Strano |Robert Steiner |Mathias Lesche |Ali El-Armouche | +12 more

The immaturity of human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (iPSC-CMs) is a major limitation for their use in drug screening to identify pro-arrhythmogenic or cardiotoxic molecules. Here, we demonstrate an approach that combines lipid-enriched maturation medium with a high concentration of calcium, nanopatterning of culture surfaces and electrostimulation to generate iPSC-CMs with advanced electrophysiological, structural and metabolic phenotypes. Systematic testing reveals that electrostimulation is the key driver of enhanced mitochondrial development and metabolic maturation and improved electrophysiological properties of iPSC-CMs. Increased calcium concentration strongly promotes electrophysiological maturation, while nanopatterning primarily facilitates sarcomere organisation with minor effect on electrophysiological properties. Transcriptome analysis reveals that activation of HMCES and TFAM targets contributes to mitochondrial development, whereas downregulation of MAPK/PI3K and SRF targets is associated with iPSC-CM polyploidy. These findings provide mechanistic insights into iPSC-CM maturation, paving the way for pharmacological responses that more closely resemble those of adult CMs. The immaturity of iPSC-derived cardiomyocytes limits their use in drug testing. This study provides a systematic evaluation of how culture medium, calcium, nanopatterning and electrostimulation distinctly affect their structural, metabolic, and electrophysiological maturation.