Contraction pressure analysis using optical imaging in normal and MYBPC3-mutated hiPSC-derived cardiomyocytes grown on matrices with tunable stiffness.

Current disease models and analysis methods for cardiac drug development have been insufficient in providing accurate and reliable predictions of drug efficacy and safety. Here, we propose a custom optical flow-based analysis method to quantitatively measure recordings of contracting cardiomyocytes on polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), compatible with medium-throughput systems. Movement of the PDMS was examined by covalently bound fluorescent beads on the PDMS surface, differences caused by increased substrate stiffness were compared, and cells were stimulated with β-agonist.

No acceleration of UV-induced skin carcinogenesis from evenly spread dietary intake of cyclosporine in contrast to oral bolus dosages.

Background: Organ transplant recipients using the immunosuppressant cyclosporine have an increased risk for developing nonmelanoma skin cancer. Disparate effects of cyclosporine have, however, been reported on UV-induced skin carcinogenesis in mouse experiments. Therefore, we set out to compare three experimental protocols using mice, with the aim to emulate most closely the increased skin cancer risk in organ transplant recipients.

Dietary immunosuppressants do not enhance UV-induced skin carcinogenesis, and reveal discordance between p53-mutant early clones and carcinomas.

Immunosuppressive drugs are thought to cause the dramatically increased risk of carcinomas in sun-exposed skin of organ transplant recipients. These drugs differ in local effects on skin. We investigated whether this local impact is predictive of skin cancer risk and may thus provide guidance on minimizing the risk.