Comprehensive in vitro Proarrhythmia Assay for CHO hERG on QPatch: Physiological Solutions and Temperature
Journal
Comprehensive in vitro Proarrhythmia Assay for CHO hERG on QPatch: Physiological Solutions and Temperature
Author(s)
Year
2026
- hERG (KV11.1) channels play a critical role in cardiac electrophysiology, and off-target interference with hERG channel function can lead to deadly cardiac arrhythmias in the clinic.
- Unintended hERG inhibition is a leading cause of compound attrition and a major liability in drug discovery programs.
- The CiPA initiative (Comprehensive in vitro Proarrhythmia Assay) defines a set of standardized protocols for screening compound effects on hERG channels, including voltage stimulation protocols, recording solutions, and temperature-controlled experiments between 35-37°C.
- Here, we describe an optimized assay for recording CHO hERG on the Sophion QPatch under CiPA-compatible conditions, allowing recordings at 35-37°C for an average of 33.5 ± 2.0 mins.
- Cumulative concentration-response experiments using four hERG inhibitors generated IC50 and Hill coefficient values remarkably similar to published manual patch-clamp data, demonstrating the utility of QPatch automated patch-clamp for CiPA-compatible hERG screening at physiological temperature.