Computational Study of the Excitation of Human Induced Pluripotent Stem-Cell Derived Cardiomyocytes

Human induced pluripotent stem-cell derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs) have proven to be a revolutionary advance for tissue engineering, disease modeling, and drug testing and discovery. Computational modeling enables a detailed electrophysiological analysis that is otherwise difficult or impossible to achieve under strictly experimental settings. Action potential characteristics of hiPSC-CMs measured in our lab at four different pacing rates were used it to modify the computational Kernik-Clancy hiPSC-CM model. The modified model was used to compare the excitation of single hiPSC-CMs with that of single human ventricular cardiomyocytes (hV-CMs) under varying conditions, including at stimulation at different strengths, rates and pulse durations. The physiological stimulation of both hiPSC-CMs and hV-CMs embedded within a tissue strand involves a biphasic waveform during which time excitatory currents (particularly