Development of an platform for the analysis of contractile and calcium dynamics in single human myotubes.

myotube cultures are widely used as models for studying muscle pathophysiology, but their limited maturation and heterogeneity pose significant challenges for functional analyses. While they remain the gold standard for studying muscle function , myotube cultures do not fully recapitulate the complexity and native features of muscle fibers, which may compromise their ability to predict outcomes. To promote maturation and decrease heterogeneity, we have incorporated engineered structures into myotube cultures, based on a PDMS thin layer with micrometer-sized grooves (μGrooves) placed over a glass substrate.