Electronic expression of the inward rectifier in cardiocytes derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells

A method for identifying test agents for drug development comprising:

• a) providing induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived cardiac myocytes;
• b) providing a system for producing action potentials by an iPSC-derived cardiac myocyte comprising:
• a patch clamp comprising an electrode configured to measure a membrane voltage (Vm) of the myocyte;
• a generating circuit in electronic communication with the electrode, the generating circuit comprising a processor programmed to:
• calculate a value of a synthetic inward rectifying current based on a membrane voltage (IK1) based on the membrane voltage;
• and
• provide to the electrode, a synthetic inward rectifying current according to the determined value to produce action potentials having improved morphology from the myocyte,
• and wherein the generating circuit is configured to:
• calculate a value of an inward rectifying current (IK1) based on the membrane voltage;
• provide to the electrode, a synthetic inward rectifying current according to the determined inward rectifying current, to produce the action potentials from the myocyte;
• and
• repeatedly calculate a value and provide a current at a sampling frequency;
• c) generating a pattern of action potentials in the iPSC-derived myocyte using the system in b);
• d) contacting the iPSC-derived cardiac myocyte with a test agent;
• and
• e) identifying the test agent as a candidate for drug development if the characteristics of the individual action potential or the regularity of action potentials are changed.