Non-Invasive electrophysiological monitoring of cardiac organoids using 3D-Net-assisted microelectrodes array platform

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Non-Invasive electrophysiological monitoring of cardiac organoids using 3D-Net-assisted microelectrodes array platform

Scientific Reports , Article number:  (2026) Cite this article

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Abstract

The rapid advancement of organoids has increased interest in replacing conventional 2D alternatives to animal testing. In drug development, cardiotoxicity assessment is essential, and electrophysiological signals from cardiomyocytes serve as key biomarkers. Accordingly, planar 2D microelectrode array (MEA) chips are widely used. However, cardiomyocytes-based platform fails to reproduce complex in vivo physiological responses, leading to the combination of human cardiac organoids (hCdOs) with 3D sensors. Most of these approaches remain in the research stage and lack standardization. Therefore, there is still a need for methods that can stably evaluate organoids using commercially available 2D MEA chips. In this study, a silicon-based 3D-Net was introduced to enable stable monitoring of hCdOs electrophysiological signals on MEA chip. hCdOs fabricated using established protocols showed morphological and functional reproducibility suitable for drug testing. The 3D-Net prevented organoid flotation, ensured sufficient medium supply, and enabled measurements beyond acute assessment periods without functional impairment. Drug responsiveness varied significantly depending on the presence of 3D-Net and the volume of drug-containing medium. The 3D-Net platform overcomes the limitations of MEA, providing an effective and non-invasive method for functional evaluation and drug screening of hCdOs. Furthermore, this approach is expected to support preclinical evaluation of drug efficacy and safety.

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All data generated or analyzed during this study are included in this published article.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) grant funded by the Korea government (MSIT) (RS-2025–00559450), and by the Industrial Strategic Technology Development Program (RS-2024-00448561) funded by the Ministry of Trade, Industry & Energy (MOTIE, Korea) in 2025. This paper was supported by the KU Research Professor Program of Konkuk University.

Funding

This work was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) grant funded by the Korea government (MSIT) (RS-2025–00559450), and by the Industrial Strategic Technology Development Program (RS-2024-00448561) funded by the Ministry of Trade, Industry & Energy (MOTIE, Korea) in 2025.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Veterinary Medicine, Konkuk University, Seoul, 05029, Republic of Korea

    Shinhye Park, C-Yoon Kim & Seul-Gi Lee

  2. Cellames Inc, 405, 19 Wiryegwangjang‑ro, Sujeong‑gu, Seongnam‑si, Gyeonggi‑do, Republic of Korea

    Sang-Jun Cho

  3. Department of Stem Cell Biology, School of Medicine, Konkuk University, 120 Neungdong- Ro, Gwangjin-Gu, Seoul, 05029, Republic of Korea

    Hyung Min Chung

Authors

  1. Shinhye Park
  2. Sang-Jun Cho
  3. C-Yoon Kim
  4. Hyung Min Chung
  5. Seul-Gi Lee

Contributions

S.P.: conception and design, collection and/or assembly of data, data analysis and interpretation, and manuscript writing. S.J.C., C.Y.K., and H.M.C.: Conception and design. S.G.L.: Supervision of the study, conception and design, collection and/or assembly of data, data analysis and interpretation, and manuscript writing.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Seul-Gi Lee.

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The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper. The authors declare no competing interests.

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Park, S., Cho, SJ., Kim, CY. et al. Non-Invasive electrophysiological monitoring of cardiac organoids using 3D-Net-assisted microelectrodes array platform. Sci Rep (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-34504-3

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