A novel computational model of human iPSC-derived ventricular myocytes with improved L-type calcium current for application to Timothy syndrome

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Authors: Francesca Simone, Alessandro Trancuccio, Jaroslaw Sochacki, Celia Martínez Prieto, Silvia Giuliana Priori, Luca F. Pavarino, Demetrio Julián Santiago
Cited by: 0
References: 37

Abstract

Human-induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs) are a powerful platform for modeling inherited arrhythmias, yet current in silico representations face limitations in Ca2+ handling. Here, we present a novel ventricular hiPSC-CM ionic model incorporating a Markovian formulation of the L-type Ca2+ current (I[Formula: see text]), tailored to better recapitulate Ca[Formula: see text] dynamics and voltage-dependent inactivation. The model was calibrated against experimental data from hiPSC-CMs derived from a healthy individual and validated through a series of simulations relevant to both physiological and pathological conditions. These included pharmacological inhibition of I[Formula: see text] with nifedipine, Ca[Formula: see text] overload and DAD-mediated triggered activity, and the interplay between intracellular Ca[Formula: see text] cycling and membrane mechanisms in driving automaticity. Sensitivity analysis was used to generate a population of models capturing intercellular variability. In addition, the model was able to reproduce the effects of genetic mutations in the L-type Ca[Formula: see text] channel, including those associated with Timothy Syndrome, providing an additional layer of validation. Overall, this computational framework offers a flexible and physiologically grounded tool for investigating the mechanisms of arrhythmogenesis in hiPSC-CMs and for supporting personalized medicine applications.

Fields of Study & Subjects

Cardiac electrophysiology and arrhythmias Pluripotent Stem Cells Research Ion channel regulation and function

Publication details

Journal / source
Scientific Reports
Volume
16
Issue
1
Publication date
16 February 2026
Language
EN