High-throughput screening of cell contraction for applications in regenerative medicine and drug testing

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We will develop and test a novel method to quantify the contractile activity of cultured cells that will be established as a high throughput screening (HTS) format for industrial applications. HTS quantification of cell contraction is a pivotal yet not available functional test with important fields of application: 1) Functional contraction tests for mesenchymal stem cells to be used to enhance tissue repair, e.g., chronic wound healing associated with diabetes (>3 Mio Canadians, ~13 Bio $) or to regenerate diseased cardiovascular tissues (>10 Mio Canadians, ~18 Bio $). 2) HTS of drugs to tune cell contractility in the cardiovascular system, in fibrosis and in cancer research. We have recently developed a novel rubber polymer that allows optical analysis of cell contraction. Essential improvements over existing deformable culture substrates can turn the new material into a widely-used assay: a) it can be provided in any cell culture format; b) it can be tuned to respond to the