Modeling of cardiomyocyte contractility autoregulation in the cell-in-gel system.

Intrinsic mechano-chemo-transduction (MCT) mechanisms at the single cardiomyocyte level are being studied via the Cell-in-Gel system, where isolated live cardiomyocytes are embedded in a constraining hydrogel. Knowing that normal heart function has a compensatory response to elevated systolic pressure (Anrep effect) and that excessive mechanical stress in myocardium can lead to arrhythmias and heart failure, our aim is to better understand MCT mechanisms at the single cell level subject to various mechanical scenarios.