Development of a new assessment for cardio-oncology and its international trend

Abstract

Cardiac safety assessments play a key role in drug development. New non-clinical cardiac safety risk assessments, such as the use of iPSC-derived cardiomyocytes, have been validated by several consortiums both in Japan and abroad. The emerging multidisciplinary field of cardio-oncology has been recognized more important. The success of new cancer therapies has improved life expectancy of cancer patients, hence more attention has been paid to cardiotoxicities associated with existing and new anti-cancer therapies, such as cardiomyocyte injury and heart failure, vascular injury and hypertension or thrombosis, which accelerated coronary artery disease. In addition to the well-studied proarrhythmia risk, some cardiotoxicities, such as contractility impairment, are expected to be evaluated by iPSC-derived cardiomyocytes. Here we developed a novel imaging-based in vitro contractility assay using iPSC-derived cardiomyocytes. In the review, we would like to discuss the current status and future perspectives in the assessment of cardiac contractile function by anti-cancer agents.