- Pardon, Gaspard;
- Vander Roest, Alison;
- Chirikian, Orlando;
- Birnbaum, Foster;
- Lewis, Henry;
- Castillo, Erica;
- Wilson, Robin;
- Denisin, Aleksandra;
- Blair, Cheavar;
- Holbrook, Colin;
- Koleckar, Kassie;
- Chang, Alex;
- Blau, Helen;
- Pruitt, Beth
Cardiomyocytes derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSC-CMs) are powerful in vitro models to study the mechanisms underlying cardiomyopathies and cardiotoxicity. Quantification of the contractile function in single hiPSC-CMs at high-throughput and over time is essential to disentangle how cellular mechanisms affect heart function. Here, we present CONTRAX, an open-access, versatile, and streamlined pipeline for quantitative tracking of the contractile dynamics of single hiPSC-CMs over time. Three software modules enable: parameter-based identification of single hiPSC-CMs; automated video acquisition of >200 cells/hour; and contractility measurements via traction force microscopy. We analyze >4,500 hiPSC-CMs over time in the same cells under orthogonal conditions of culture media and substrate stiffnesses; +/- drug treatment; +/- cardiac mutations. Using undirected clustering, we reveal converging maturation patterns, quantifiable drug response to Mavacamten and significant deficiencies in hiPSC-CMs with disease mutations. CONTRAX empowers researchers with a potent quantitative approach to develop cardiac therapies.