A device to record electrical activity inside human heart cells
An electrophysiology platform that enables robust, scalable and long-term intracellular recording of cardiomyocytes
They are building a gentle, scalable tool to record electrical signals from human heart cells to help detect drug effects and heart rhythm problems.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Stanford University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Stanford, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11127465 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
The team is creating a nanoelectrode array platform that can make long-term intracellular recordings from many human cardiomyocytes at once. This approach aims to be less invasive and much higher throughput than traditional patch clamp methods, using stem-cell-derived heart cells grown in the lab. Researchers will use the system to read action potential waveforms, identify cell subtypes and maturation states, and monitor how drugs change electrical behavior linked to arrhythmia risk. The work is focused on lab-based testing that could speed up drug safety screens and basic studies of heart rhythm disorders.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with inherited or acquired arrhythmias, or individuals willing to donate blood or cells for creation of stem-cell-derived heart cells, would be ideal sources for samples and future personalized testing.
Not a fit: Patients seeking direct or immediate clinical treatment for heart disease are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this laboratory-focused technology project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could make preclinical drug safety testing faster and more accurate and improve research into causes of arrhythmias.
How similar studies have performed: Prior nanoelectrode-array studies have shown promising laboratory results but remain largely confined to research labs and are not yet clinical standards.
Where this research is happening
Stanford, United States
- Stanford University — Stanford, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Cui, Bianxiao — Stanford University
- Study coordinator: Cui, Bianxiao
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.