In Vitro Research
To Better Predict In Vivo Behavior
MEASSuRE reproduces the mechanical and electrical environment of cells in vivo in a controlled environment in vitro. Applications include biomechanics, modeling in mechanobiology, neuromuscular electrical stimulation, and more.
In vitro research has many advantages over in vivo research, such as (1) tighter control of chemical and physical environment, (2) cheaper and (3) faster, and (4) fewer animals needed.
However, isolated and cultivated primary cells differ from the corresponding cell type in an organism, limiting the value of in vitro data to predict in vivo behavior.
A major reason for this divergence is that in vitro experiments do not replicate the mechanical and electrical environment of cells in an organism.
Physiological Cell Stretching
Tissue Engineering
Pluripotent stem cells that differentiate into specialized cells have properties that more closely resemble adult tissue when the cells are mechanically and electrically stimulated during the differentiation.
MEASSuRE provides electrical and mechanical stimulation in conjunction with optical or fluorescent imaging.
Image: hiPSC-CMs on BMSEED’s stretchable MEA, Alex Patino Ph.D., Arizona State University
Mechanobiology
Biomechanics and modeling in mechanobiology play a crucial role in understanding the numerous mechanisms for transducing and sensing mechanical forces in neurons and other cell types, including those involved in cancer mechanobiology and cellular mechanobiology.
MEASSuRE enables capabilities to fundamentally understand the effect of mechanical forces on cell behavior.
Image: neurons on BMSEED’s stretchwell, Abigail Palmieri B.S., Georgia Institute of Technology
Drug Toxicity Testing
The validity of in vitro drug toxicity testing is increased when cells are derived from humans (not animals) to closely represent in vivo cells of the respective organ. This can be achieved by differentiating human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) into specialized cells under mechanical and electrical stimulation.
MEASSuRE provides electrical and mechanical stimulation in conjunction with optical or fluorescent imaging.
Image: hi-PSCs on MEA using BMSEED’s electrophysiology module and temperature controller, Alex Patino Ph.D., Arizona State University
The MEASSuRE-Mini stand-alone cell stretcher.
The MEASSuRE-Mini reproduces physiological stretch for tissue engineering, regenerative medicine, organ-on-a-chip, pre-clinical drug development, mechanobiology, and more.
The MEASSuRE-Mini cell stretcher can be placed in an incubator for long-term cell culture.