Electrical Bioimpedance Spectroscopy as Biosensor Technique to Identify Pluripotent Stem Cells and Fibroblasts

Abstract

Pluripotent stem cells have the capacity to differentiate into specialized cells, and it has relevance in the engineering of tissue regeneration. The identification and characterization of diverse cells types requires complex techniques as flow cytometry, immunocytochemistry and the exploration of molecular markers; such techniques require infrastructure and qualified personnel. The objective of this study was to analyse the use of Electrical Bioimpedance Spectroscopy (EBIS) measurements as non-complex alternative technique to identify populations of undifferentiated pluripotent mouse Embryonic Stem Cells (mESCs) and Mouse Embryonic Fibroblasts (MEFs). EBIS measurements were compared in populations of pluripotent stem cells and fibroblasts which were characterized previously using Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and fluorescence microscopy. The results indicate that EBIS technique has potential sensitivity at certain frequency range to discriminate between both evaluated cell populations. Additional studies with different concentrations in order to evaluate quantitatively the sensitivity and specificity of the proposed technique are recommended.