Electrical characterization of human mesenchymal stem cell growth on microelectrode

To support the development of stem cell therapies with in vitro assays, non-destructive methods are required for the quality control of stem cell culture. In this article, it was investigated whether an electrode based chip with electrical impedance spectroscopy can be used to characterize the growth of human mesenchymal stem cells on electrodes without any chemical marker. From finite element method simulations, the electrical characteristics of cell layer under weak alternating electric fields were investigated with respect to the different cell/cell or cell/substrate gap, and modelled as an equivalent circuit. The impedance spectra were measured during the long-term cultivation of human mesenchymal stem cells on platinum electrodes. By fitting analyses the equivalent circuit to measured spectra, an extra cellular resistance reflecting the cell growth was extrapolated. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.