Targeted isolation and analysis of single tumor cells with aptamer-encoded microwell array on microfluidic device

Living Cell Microarrays: An Overview of Concepts

Living cell microarrays are a highly efficient cellular screening system. Due to the low number of cells required per spot, cell microarrays enable the use of primary and stem cells and provide resolution close to the single-cell level. Apart from a variety of conventional static designs, microfluidic microarray systems have also been established. An alternative format is a microarray consisting of three-dimensional cell constructs ranging from cell spheroids to cells encapsulated in hydrogel. These systems provide an in vivo-like microenvironment and are preferably used for the investigation of cellular physiology, cytotoxicity, and drug screening. Thus, many different high-tech microarray platforms are currently available. Disadvantages of many systems include their high cost, the requirement of specialized equipment for their manufacture, and the poor comparability of results between different platforms. In this article, we provide an overview of static, microfluidic, and 3D cell microarrays. In addition, we describe a simple method for the printing of living cell microarrays on modified microscope glass slides using standard DNA microarray equipment available in most laboratories. Applications in research and diagnostics are discussed, e.g., the selective and sensitive detection of biomarkers. Finally, we highlight current limitations and the future prospects of living cell microarrays.

High-throughput screening approaches and combinatorial development of biomaterials using microfluidics

From the first microfluidic devices used for analysis of single metabolic by-products to highly complex multicompartmental co-culture organ-on-chip platforms, efforts of many multidisciplinary teams around the world have been invested in overcoming the limitations of conventional research methods in the biomedical field. Close spatial and temporal control over fluids and physical parameters, integration of sensors for direct read-out as well as the possibility to increase throughput of screening through parallelization, multiplexing and automation are some of the advantages of microfluidic over conventional, 2D tissue culture in vitro systems. Moreover, small volumes and relatively small cell numbers used in experimental set-ups involving microfluidics, can potentially decrease research cost. On the other hand, these small volumes and numbers of cells also mean that many of the conventional molecular biology or biochemistry assays cannot be directly applied to experiments that are performed in microfluidic platforms. Development of different types of assays and evidence that such assays are indeed a suitable alternative to conventional ones is a step that needs to be taken in order to have microfluidics-based platforms fully adopted in biomedical research. In this review, rather than providing a comprehensive overview of the literature on microfluidics, we aim to discuss developments in the field of microfluidics that can aid advancement of biomedical research, with emphasis on the field of biomaterials. Three important topics will be discussed, being: screening, in particular high-throughput and combinatorial screening; mimicking of natural microenvironment ranging from 3D hydrogel-based cellular niches to organ-on-chip devices; and production of biomaterials with closely controlled properties. While important technical aspects of various platforms will be discussed, the focus is mainly on their applications, including the state-of-the-art, future perspectives and challenges.

STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE

Microfluidics, being a technology characterized by the engineered manipulation of fluids at the submillimeter scale, offers some interesting tools that can advance biomedical research and development. Screening platforms based on microfluidic technologies that allow high-throughput and combinatorial screening may lead to breakthrough discoveries not only in basic research but also relevant to clinical application. This is further strengthened by the fact that reliability of such screens may improve, since microfluidic systems allow close mimicking of physiological conditions. Finally, microfluidic systems are also very promising as micro factories of a new generation of natural or synthetic biomaterials and constructs, with finely controlled properties.

Aptamers: versatile molecular recognition probes for cancer detection

In the past two decades, aptamers have emerged as a novel class of molecular recognition probes comprising uniquely-folded short RNA or single-stranded DNA oligonucleotides that bind to their cognate targets with high specificity and affinity. Aptamers, often referred to as "chemical antibodies", possess several highly desirable features for clinical use. They can be chemically synthesized and are easily conjugated to a wide range of reporters for different applications, and are able to rapidly penetrate tissues. These advantages significantly enhance their clinical applicability, and render them excellent alternatives to antibody-based probes in cancer diagnostics and therapeutics. Aptamer probes based on fluorescence, colorimetry, magnetism, electrochemistry, and in conjunction with nanomaterials (e.g., nanoparticles, quantum dots, single-walled carbon nanotubes, and magnetic nanoparticles) have provided novel ultrasensitive cancer diagnostic strategies and assays. Furthermore, promising aptamer targeted-multimodal tumor imaging probes have been recently developed in conjunction with fluorescence, positron emission tomography (PET), single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The capabilities of the aptamer-based platforms described herein underscore the great potential they hold for the future of cancer detection. In this review, we highlight the most prominent recent developments in this rapidly advancing field.

Efficient cell capture in an agarose–PDMS hybrid chip for shaped 2D culture under temozolomide stimulation

Arbitrary cell patterning on an agarose microwell array is realized and applied to study glioma cell cultures under temozolomide stimulation.

Engineering cell-compatible paper chips for cell culturing, drug screening, and mass spectrometric sensing

Paper-supported cell culture is an unprecedented development for advanced bioassays. This study reports a strategy for in vitro engineering of cell-compatible paper chips that allow for adherent cell culture, quantitative assessment of drug efficiency, and label-free sensing of intracellular molecules via paper spray mass spectrometry. The polycarbonate paper is employed as an excellent alternative bioscaffold for cell distribution, adhesion, and growth, as well as allowing for fluorescence imaging without light scattering. The cell-cultured paper chips are thus amenable to fabricate 3D tissue construction and cocultures by flexible deformation, stacks and assembly by layers of cells. As a result, the successful development of cell-compatible paper chips subsequently offers a uniquely flexible approach for in situ sensing of live cell components by paper spray mass spectrometry, allowing profiling the cellular lipids and quantitative measurement of drug metabolism with minimum sample pretreatment. Consequently, the developed paper chips for adherent cell culture are inexpensive for one-time use, compatible with high throughputs, and amenable to label-free and rapid analysis.

Analysis of metabolites in single cells-what is the best micro-platform?

This review covers new innovations and developments in the field of single-cell level analysis of metabolites, involving the role of microfluidic and microarray platforms to manipulate and handle the cells prior their detection. Microfluidic and microarray platforms have shown great promise. The latest developments demonstrate their potential to identify a particular cell or even an ensemble of cells (sharing a common property or phenotype) that co-exist in a much larger cell population. The reason for this is the capability of these platforms to perform several complex analytical processes, such as: cleanup, sorting, derivatization, separation, and detection, with great robustness, speed, and reduced sample/reagent consumption. Here, we present several examples that illustrate the rapid strides that have been made for the routine analysis of metabolites by coupling different microfluidics and microarrays devices to a wide range of analytical detectors (e.g. fluorescent microscopy, electrochemical, and mass spectrometry). Herein, we also present selected examples detailing the use of microfluidics and microarrays in the visualization of the natural occurring cell-to-cell heterogeneity in isogenic populations, in particular during the response to external cues. The possibility to accurate monitor the cell-to-cell heterogeneity based on different levels of key metabolites is of clinical relevance, since cell-to-cell heterogeneity can influence, for example, the outcome of a drug treatment.

Microfluidic platform towards point-of-care diagnostics in infectious diseases

Rapid and timely diagnosis of infectious diseases is a critical determinant of clinical outcomes and general public health. For the detection of various pathogens, microfluidics-based platforms offer many advantages, including speed, cost, portability, high throughput, and automation. This review provides an overview of the recent advances in microfluidic technologies for point-of-care (POC) diagnostics for infectious diseases. The key aspects of such technologies for the development of a fully integrated POC platform are introduced, including sample preparation, on-chip nucleic acid analysis and immunoassay, and system integration/automation. The current challenges to practical implementation of this technology are discussed together with future perspectives.

ZnO nanowire arrays exhibit cytotoxic distinction to cancer cells with different surface charge density: cytotoxicity is charge-dependent

Using distinct ZnO NW arrays to provide positively charged surface, charge effect on cytotoxicity is investigated. 1-D structure of ZnO NWs is the main factor leads to apoptosis accompanied by ROS enrichment and GSH depletion, and electrostatic interaction between positively charged ZnO NWs and negatively charged cells make important contribution to the degree of ZnO NW arrays damaging cell membrane.

Capillary flow layer-by-layer: a microfluidic platform for the high-throughput assembly and screening of nanolayered film libraries

Layer-by-layer (LbL) assembly is a powerful tool with increasing real world applications in energy, biomaterials, active surfaces, and membranes; however, the current state of the art requires individual sample construction using large quantities of material. Here we describe a technique using capillary flow within a microfluidic device to drive high-throughput assembly of LbL film libraries. This capillary flow layer-by-layer (CF-LbL) method significantly reduces material waste, improves quality control, and expands the potential applications of LbL into new research spaces. The method can be operated as a simple lab benchtop apparatus or combined with liquid-handling robotics to extend the library size. Here we describe and demonstrate the technique and establish its ability to recreate and expand on the known literature for film growth and morphology. We use the same platform to assay biological properties such as cell adhesion and proliferation and ultimately provide an example of the use of this approach to identify LbL films for surface-based DNA transfection of commonly used cell types.

Assay of multiplex proteins from cell metabolism based on tunable aptamer and microchip electrophoresis

A simple and rapid method for multiplex protein assay based on tunable aptamer by microchip electrophoresis has been developed. Different lengths of aptamers can modulate the electrophoretic mobility of proteins, allowing the protein molecules to be effectively separated in hydroxyethyl cellulose buffer with 1.00 mM magnesium ion. A non-specific DNA was exploited as an internal standard to achieve the quantitative assay and to reduce the interference. A fluorescence dye SYBR gold was exploited to improve the sensitivity and to suppress the interference from sample matrix. Under optimum conditions, quantitative assay of PDGF-BB (R(2)=0.9986), VEGF165 (R(2)=0.9909), and thrombin (R(2)=0.9947) were achieved with a dynamic range in the 5.00-150.0 nM and RSDs in the 5.87-16.3% range. The recoveries were varied from 83.6% to 113.1%. Finally, the proposed method was successfully applied to analyze cell secretions, and then the concentration of PDGF-BB and VEGF165 were detected from 5.15 nM to 2.03 nM, and 3.14 to 2.53 nM, respectively, indicating the established method can be used to analyze cell secretions.

Surface modification of PDMS microchips with poly(ethylene glycol) derivatives for μTAS applications

In this work is presented a method for the modification of native PDMS surface in order to improve its applicability as a substrate for microfluidic devices, especially in the analysis of nonpolar analytes. Therefore, poly(ethylene glycol) divinyl ether modified PDMS substrate was obtained by surface modification of native PDMS. The modified substrate was characterized by attenuated total reflectance infrared spectroscopy, water contact angle measurements, and by evaluating the adsorption of rhodamine B and the magnitude of the EOF mobility. The reaction was confirmed by the spectroscopic evaluation. The formation of a well-spread water film over the surface immediately after the modification was an indicative of the modified surface hydrophilicity. This characteristic was maintained for approximately ten days, with a gradual return to a hydrophobic state. Fluorescence assays showed that the nonpolar adsorption property of PDMS was significantly decreased. The EOF mobility obtained was 3.6 × 10(-4) cm(2) V(-1) s(-1) , higher than the typical values found for native PDMS. Due to the better wettability promoted by the modification, the filling of the microchannels with aqueous solutions was facilitated and trapping of air bubbles was not observed.

Nucleic acid aptamers for living cell analysis

Cells as the building blocks of life determine the basic functions and properties of a living organism. Understanding the structure and components of a cell aids in the elucidation of its biological functions. Moreover, knowledge of the similarities and differences between diseased and healthy cells is essential to understanding pathological mechanisms, identifying diagnostic markers, and designing therapeutic molecules. However, monitoring the structures and activities of a living cell remains a challenging task in bioanalytical and life science research. To meet the requirements of this task, aptamers, as "chemical antibodies," have become increasingly powerful tools for cellular analysis. This article reviews recent advances in the development of nucleic acid aptamers in the areas of cell membrane analysis, cell detection and isolation, real-time monitoring of cell secretion, and intracellular delivery and analysis with living cell models. Limitations of aptamers and possible solutions are also discussed.

Microfluidic isolation of highly pure embryonic stem cells using feeder-separated co-culture system

Engineered artificial tissues from stem cells show great potential in regenerative medicine, disease therapies and organ transplantation. To date, stem cells are typically co-cultured with inactivated feeder layers to maintain their undifferentiated state, and to ensure reliable cell purity. Herein, we propose a novel microfabricated approach for feeder-separated coculture of mouse embryonic stem (mES) cells on polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) porous membrane-assembled 3D-microdevice. Normal mouse embryonic fibroblasts (mEFs) without inactivation were specifically co-cultured with mES cells, resulting in the formation of mES cell colonies on spatially controlled co-culture with feeder layers. An excellent undifferentiated state was confirmed by the expressions of Nanog, octamer binding protein 4 (Oct-4) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) after 5 days culture. As a result, with the significant advantages of efficiency and simplicity, pure mES cell populations (a purity of 89.2%) from mEFs co-cultures were easily collected without any further purification or separation.

Metal-enhanced fluorescence of nano-core-shell structure used for sensitive detection of prion protein with a dual-aptamer strategy

Metal-enhanced fluorescence (MEF) as a newly recognized technology is widespread throughout biological research. The use of fluorophore-metal interactions is recognized to be able to alleviate some of fluorophore photophysical constraints, favorably increase both the fluorophore emission intensity and photostability. In this contribution, we developed a novel metal-enhanced fluorescence (MEF) and dual-aptamer-based strategy to achieve the prion detection in solution and intracellular protein imaging simultaneously, which shows high promise for nanostructure-based biosensing. In the presence of prion protein, core-shell Ag@SiO2, which are functionalized covalently by single stranded aptamer (Apt1) of prions and Cyanine 3 (Cy3) decorated the other aptamer (Apt2) were coupled together by the specific interaction between prions and the anti-prion aptamers in solution. By adjusting shell thickness of the pariticles, a dual-aptamer strategy combined MEF can be realized by the excitation and/or emission rates of Cy3. It was found that the enhanced fluorescence intensities followed a linear relationship in the range of 0.05-0.30 nM, which is successfully applied to the detection of PrP in mice brain homogenates.

A simple and versatile microfluidic cell density gradient generator for quantum dot cytotoxicity assay

In this work, a simple and versatile microfluidic cell density gradient generator was successfully developed for cytotoxicity of quantum dots (QDs) assay. The microfluidic cell density gradient generator is composed of eight parallel channels which are respectively surrounded by 1-8 microwells with optimized length and width. The cells fall into microwells by gravity and the cell densities are obviously dependent of microwell number. In a case study, HepG2 and MCF-7 cells were successfully utilized for generating cell density gradients on the microfluidic chip. The microfluidic cell density gradient generator was proved to be easily handled, cell-friendly and could be used to conduct the subsequent cell-based assay. As a proof-of-concept, QD cytotoxicity was evaluated and the results exhibited obvious cell density-dependence. For comparison, QD cytotoxicity was also investigated with a series of cell densities infused by pipette tips. Higher reproducibility was observed on the microfluidic cell density gradient generator and cell density was demonstrated to be a vital factor in cytotoxic study. With higher efficiency, controllability and reproducibility, the microfluidic cell density gradient generator could be integrated into microfluidic analysis systems to promote chip-based biological assay.