In a scientific breakthrough,researchers from UC San Diego adn Stanford University have developed a cutting-edge,noninvasive method to monitor the electrical activity within heart cells.Published on January 14 in Nature Communications, this innovative approach bypasses the need for invasive techniques, enabling scientists to collect essential data without disrupting the cells themselves.
Understanding the electrical signals inside heart cells is crucial for studying heart function, cellular dialog, and how drugs affect the heart. Traditionally, these signals were captured by inserting tiny electrodes into the cells, a method that risked damaging them and was impractical for large-scale experiments. The new technique, however, allows researchers to “peer” inside cells without physical intrusion.
The key to this advancement lies in the connection between intracellular signals—those within the cells—and extracellular signals—those detected on the cell surface. “We found that extracellular signals contain the facts needed to decode the intracellular features we’re interested in,” explained Zeinab Jahed, a professor in the Aiiso yufeng Li Family Department of Chemical and Nano Engineering at UC San Diego. The study was led by Keivan Rahmani, a Ph.D.student in Jahed’s lab.
While extracellular signals are easier to measure, they don’t provide the depth of information that intracellular signals do. “It’s like listening to a conversation through a wall—you know communication is happening, but the specifics are unclear,” Jahed noted.
In contrast, intracellular signals offer clarity, as if you’re sitting in the room hearing every word. Though, capturing them requires invasive and technically demanding methods.
zeinab Jahed, Professor, Aiiso Yufeng Li Family Department of chemical and Nano Engineering, UC San Diego
To overcome this limitation, the team turned to artificial intelligence. They created a deep learning model that predicts intracellular signals using only extracellular recordings. The process began with designing an array of nanoscale, needle-shaped electrodes, each up to 200 times smaller than a heart muscle cell. These electrodes,crafted from platinum-coated silica,were used to cultivate and monitor heart cells derived from stem cells.
By collecting thousands of paired electrical signals, the researchers built a comprehensive dataset that included the cells’ reactions to various drugs. Analyzing these pairs revealed patterns linking extracellular and intracellular signals. Their AI model, trained on this data, accurately reconstructed intracellular signals, offering a noninvasive way to gain detailed insights.
This progress has profound implications for drug development.Every new pharmaceutical undergoes cardiotoxicity testing to ensure it doesn’t harm the heart. Traditionally, this process involves invasive intracellular data collection and extensive animal testing, which is expensive, time-consuming, and often unreliable for predicting human outcomes. “Currently, this is a lengthy and costly process. It typically starts with tests on animal models, which don’t always predict human outcomes,” Jahed emphasized.
The new AI-driven method allows researchers to test drugs directly on human heart cells, providing a more accurate assessment of their effects. “This could substantially reduce the time and cost of drug development,” jahed said. “Additionally,since the cells used in these tests come from human stem cells,it opens the door to personalized medicine. Drugs could be screened on patient-specific cells to predict individual responses.”
Revolutionary Noninvasive Technique to Monitor Heart Cells
Table of Contents
- 1. Revolutionary Noninvasive Technique to Monitor Heart Cells
- 2. Dr. Jahed on the Significance of the Technique
- 3. How the Technique Works
- 4. An Analogy to Explain the Process
- 5. comparing Extracellular Signal Decoding to Traditional Methods
- 6. Future Applications and Broader Implications
- 7. Revolutionizing Cellular Research: A Breakthrough in Signal Analysis
- 8. Transformative Applications Across Multiple Fields
- 9. Overcoming Challenges: A Test of Innovation
- 10. What’s Next for This groundbreaking Research?
- 11. A New Era in Cellular Studies
- 12. What are the broader implications of this breakthrough for drug advancement?
In a landmark development, scientists from UC San Diego and Stanford university have unveiled a groundbreaking, noninvasive method to monitor electrical activity in heart muscle cells. Published on January 14 in Nature Communications, this innovative approach eliminates the need for invasive procedures, allowing researchers to collect vital data without physically penetrating the cells.
We had the opportunity to speak with Dr. Zeinab Jahed, a professor in the Aiiso Yufeng Li Family Department of Chemical and Nano Engineering at UC San Diego, who played a pivotal role in this breakthrough.
Dr. Jahed on the Significance of the Technique
Interviewer: Dr. Jahed, thank you for joining us. Could you briefly explain the importance of this new method?
Dr. Jahed: “thank you for having me. Electrical signals in heart cells are essential for understanding heart function, cellular communication, and drug responses. Traditionally, we used tiny electrodes to puncture cells and record these signals, which was invasive and frequently enough damaged the cells. Our new technique allows us to ‘see’ inside the cells without entering them, preserving their integrity and enabling more accurate, large-scale studies.”
How the Technique Works
Interviewer: How does this method function, and what makes it so innovative?
Dr. Jahed: “The innovation lies in the relationship between intracellular signals—those inside the cells—and extracellular signals—those on the cell surface. We found that extracellular signals contain the information needed to infer intracellular signals. Essentially, we’ve developed a way to decode extracellular data to gain insights into what’s happening inside the cell. This is a critically important departure from traditional methods, which relied on direct, invasive measurements.”
An Analogy to Explain the Process
Interviewer: You’ve described extracellular signals as ‘listening to a conversation through a wall.’ Could you elaborate on that analogy?
Dr.Jahed: “Absolutely. Extracellular signals are easier to capture,but they’re like overhearing a conversation from another room. You can tell that communication is happening, but the details are muffled. Our technique refines this process, allowing us to ‘hear’ the conversation more clearly without being in the same room.”
comparing Extracellular Signal Decoding to Traditional Methods
Historically, researchers relied on invasive techniques that involved inserting electrodes into cells to measure electrical activity. While effective, these methods frequently enough damaged the cells, limiting their utility in long-term studies. The new noninvasive approach avoids these pitfalls by leveraging extracellular signals, offering a safer and more scalable option.
Future Applications and Broader Implications
While the study initially focused on heart muscle cells, the team is already exploring ways to adapt this technology for other cell types, including neurons. This could revolutionize our understanding of cellular activities across various tissues, paving the way for advancements in medical research and treatment.
Sources:
- University of California – San Diego
- Rahmani, K., et al.(2025) Clever in-cell electrophysiology: Reconstructing intracellular action potentials using a physics-informed deep learning model trained on nanoelectrode array recordings. Nature Communications. doi:10.1038/s41467-024-55571-6.
Revolutionizing Cellular Research: A Breakthrough in Signal Analysis
In the intricate world of cellular biology, understanding the nuances of intracellular communication has always been a challenge. Extracellular signals, while accessible, often lack the depth needed to fully grasp what’s happening inside a cell. Imagine trying to overhear a conversation from another room—you catch the gist, but the specifics are lost. Intracellular signals, on the other hand, are like being in the same room, where every word is crystal clear. Now, a groundbreaking technique bridges this gap, allowing researchers to infer the details of cellular “conversations” without being physically present.
Transformative Applications Across Multiple Fields
The potential applications of this innovative method are vast and transformative. According to Dr. Jahed, this technique could significantly advance cardiac research by enabling safer and more efficient studies of heart cells. “It also improves drug testing,” he explains, “as we can now monitor cellular responses without damaging the cells.” Beyond cardiology, this method could be adapted to study other cell types, unlocking new possibilities in neuroscience, cancer research, and regenerative medicine.
Overcoming Challenges: A Test of Innovation
Developing this method wasn’t without its hurdles. Dr. Jahed recalls that the biggest challenge was convincing both the team and the scientific community that extracellular signals could provide the necessary level of detail. “It required a deep understanding of the physics of cellular signals and advanced data analysis techniques,” he notes. Keivan rahmani, the lead author of the study, played a crucial role in developing the algorithms that made it possible to decode these signals effectively.
What’s Next for This groundbreaking Research?
Looking ahead, Dr. Jahed and his team are focused on expanding the application of this technique to other cell types and systems. “We’re also refining the method to make it more precise and accessible to researchers worldwide,” he shares.The ultimate goal is to establish this approach as a standard tool in cellular research, paving the way for breakthroughs across multiple disciplines.
“It’s been a privilege to contribute to this exciting development, and I’m eager to see how it will shape the future of research,” says Dr. Jahed.
A New Era in Cellular Studies
This innovative technique promises to revolutionize how we study cells,offering a safer,more efficient approach to research that could lead to significant advancements in medicine and beyond. As scientists continue to refine and expand its applications, the potential for revelation is limitless.stay tuned for more updates on this and other cutting-edge developments in cellular biology.
What are the broader implications of this breakthrough for drug advancement?
Archyde Exclusive Interview: Dr. Zeinab Jahed on the Revolutionary Noninvasive Technique to Monitor Heart Cells
By Archys
January 14, 2025
In a groundbreaking scientific achievement, researchers from UC San Diego and Stanford University have developed a noninvasive method to monitor the electrical activity within heart cells. This innovative approach, published in Nature Communications, eliminates the need for invasive techniques, allowing scientists to gather critical data without disrupting cellular integrity. We sat down with Dr. Zeinab Jahed, a leading figure in this development and a professor in the Aiiso Yufeng Li Family Department of Chemical and Nano Engineering at UC San Diego, to discuss the significance of this breakthrough and its potential applications.
Interviewer: Dr. Jahed, thank you for joining us today.This new method seems like a game-changer for cellular research. Could you briefly explain its importance?
Dr. Jahed: Thank you for having me.Electrical signals in heart cells are fundamental to understanding how the heart functions, how cells communicate, and how drugs affect cardiac activity.traditionally, we’ve relied on invasive methods—inserting tiny electrodes into cells to measure these signals. While effective, this approach often damages the cells, limiting the scope and accuracy of our studies. Our new technique allows us to peek inside the cells without physically intruding. This not only preserves cellular integrity but also opens the door to more precise and scalable experiments.
Interviewer: How does this method work, and what makes it so innovative?
Dr. Jahed: The innovation lies in the relationship between intracellular signals—those inside the cells—and extracellular signals—those on the cell surface. We discovered that extracellular signals contain enough information to decode intracellular activity. Essentially, we’ve developed a way to infer what’s happening inside the cell by analyzing data collected outside it. This is a significant departure from traditional methods, which required direct, invasive measurements.
interviewer: You’ve used the analogy of “listening to a conversation through a wall” to describe extracellular signals. Could you elaborate on that?
Dr. Jahed: Certainly. Extracellular signals are easier to capture, but they’re akin to overhearing a conversation from another room—you know communication is happening, but the details are unclear. In contrast, intracellular signals provide the full picture, as if you’re sitting in the room and hearing every word. Our technique refines the process of interpreting extracellular data, allowing us to translate the muffled conversation into clear, actionable insights.
Interviewer: Can you explain the role of artificial intelligence in this process?
Dr. Jahed: absolutely. We developed a deep learning model that uses extracellular recordings to predict intracellular signals. To train this model, we designed an array of nanoscale, needle-shaped electrodes—each up to 200 times smaller than a heart muscle cell. These electrodes,made from platinum-coated silica,allowed us to cultivate and monitor heart cells derived from stem cells.By collecting thousands of paired electrical signals—both intracellular and extracellular—we built a robust dataset. The AI model analyzed these pairs, identified patterns, and learned to reconstruct intracellular signals accurately. This AI-driven approach is the cornerstone of our noninvasive method.
Interviewer: What are the broader implications of this breakthrough, particularly in drug development?
Dr. Jahed: This advancement has profound implications for pharmaceutical research. Every new drug undergoes cardiotoxicity testing to ensure it doesn’t harm the heart. Traditionally, this process involves invasive intracellular measurements and extensive animal testing, which is costly, time-consuming, and frequently enough unreliable for predicting human outcomes. Our method allows researchers to test drugs directly on human heart cells,providing a more accurate assessment of their effects. Moreover,as these cells are derived from human stem cells,this paves the way for personalized medicine.We can screen drugs on patient-specific cells to predict individual responses, tailoring treatments to each person’s unique biology.
Interviewer: Beyond heart cells, do you see potential applications for this technology in other fields?
Dr. Jahed: Absolutely. While our initial focus was on heart muscle cells,the underlying principles of this method can be adapted to study other cell types,such as neurons. This could revolutionize our understanding of cellular activities across various tissues, advancing research in neuroscience, oncology, and beyond. The possibilities are truly exciting.
Interviewer: what’s next for your team and this technology?
Dr. Jahed: Our next steps involve refining the AI model further and expanding its applications to other cell types. We’re also exploring collaborations with pharmaceutical companies to integrate this method into drug development pipelines. Ultimately, our goal is to make this technology widely accessible, accelerating discoveries and improving patient outcomes.
Interviewer: Dr. Jahed, thank you for sharing your insights. This is undoubtedly a monumental step forward in cellular research.
Dr. Jahed: Thank you for the opportunity to discuss our work. We’re thrilled about the potential of this technology to transform science and medicine.
This revolutionary noninvasive technique marks a new era in cellular research, offering unprecedented insights into heart function and beyond. As Dr. Jahed and her team continue to refine and expand this technology, its applications could reshape drug development, personalized medicine, and our understanding of cellular biology.
For more groundbreaking discoveries and in-depth interviews, stay tuned to Archyde.
