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Zhao H, Zhang Y, Hua D. A Review of Research Progress in Microfluidic Bioseparation and Bioassay. MICROMACHINES 2024; 15:893. [PMID: 39064404 PMCID: PMC11278910 DOI: 10.3390/mi15070893] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2024] [Revised: 07/03/2024] [Accepted: 07/05/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024]
Abstract
With the rapid development of biotechnology, the importance of microfluidic bioseparation and bioassay in biomedicine, clinical diagnosis, and other fields has become increasingly prominent. Microfluidic technology, with its significant advantages of high throughput, automated operation, and low sample consumption, has brought new breakthroughs in the field of biological separation and bioassay. In this paper, the latest research progress in microfluidic technology in the field of bioseparation and bioassay is reviewed. Then, we focus on the methods of bioseparation including active separation, passive separation, and hybrid separation. At the same time, the latest research results of our group in particle separation are introduced. Finally, some application examples or methods for bioassay after particle separation are listed, and the current challenges and future prospects of bioseparation and bioassay are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Dengxin Hua
- Center for Lidar Remote Sensing Research, School of Mechanical and Precision Instrument Engineering, Xi’an University of Technology, Xi’an 710048, China.; (H.Z.); (Y.Z.)
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2
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Chen Y, Ni C, Zhang X, Ni Z, Xiang N. High-Throughput Sorting and Single-Cell Mechanotyping by Hydrodynamic Sorting-Mechanotyping Cytometry. SMALL METHODS 2024; 8:e2301195. [PMID: 38213022 DOI: 10.1002/smtd.202301195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2023] [Revised: 12/28/2023] [Indexed: 01/13/2024]
Abstract
The existence of many background blood cells hinders the accurate identification of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in the blood of cancer patients. To unlock this limitation, a hydrodynamic sorting-mechanotyping cytometry (HSMC) integrated with a sorting-concentration chip and a detection chip is proposed for simultaneously achieving the high-throughput cell sorting and the multi-parameter mechanotyping of the sorted tumor cells. The HSMC adopts the spiral inertial microfluidics for label-free sorting of cells in a high-throughput manner, allowing the efficient enrichment of tumor cells from the large background blood cells. Then, the sorted cells are concentrated by the concentration unit and finally passed through the detection unit for hydrodynamic deformation. The HSMC has a high throughput for sorting and detection and can successfully reveal the differences in the cellular mechanical properties. After characterizing and optimizing the single chips, the identification of white blood cells (WBCs) and three types of tumor cells (A549, MCF-7, and MDA-MB-231 cells) is successfully achieved. The identification accuracies for WBCs and different tumor cells are all larger than 94%, while the highest identification accuracy is up to 99.2%. This study envisions that the HSMC will offer an avenue for the analysis of single cell intrinsic mechanics in clinical medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yao Chen
- School of Mechanical Engineering, and Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Design and Manufacture of Micro-Nano Biomedical Instruments, Southeast University, Nanjing, 211189, China
| | - Chen Ni
- School of Mechanical Engineering, and Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Design and Manufacture of Micro-Nano Biomedical Instruments, Southeast University, Nanjing, 211189, China
| | - Xiaozhe Zhang
- School of Mechanical Engineering, and Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Design and Manufacture of Micro-Nano Biomedical Instruments, Southeast University, Nanjing, 211189, China
| | - Zhonghua Ni
- School of Mechanical Engineering, and Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Design and Manufacture of Micro-Nano Biomedical Instruments, Southeast University, Nanjing, 211189, China
| | - Nan Xiang
- School of Mechanical Engineering, and Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Design and Manufacture of Micro-Nano Biomedical Instruments, Southeast University, Nanjing, 211189, China
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3
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Zhou Z, Guo K, Zhu S, Ni C, Ni Z, Xiang N. Multiparameter Mechanical Phenotyping for Accurate Cell Identification Using High-Throughput Microfluidic Deformability Cytometry. Anal Chem 2024; 96:10313-10321. [PMID: 38857194 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.4c01175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2024]
Abstract
Mechanical phenotyping has been widely employed for single-cell analysis over recent years. However, most previous works on characterizing the cellular mechanical properties measured only a single parameter from one image. In this paper, the quasi-real-time multiparameter analysis of cell mechanical properties was realized using high-throughput adjustable deformability cytometry. We first extracted 12 deformability parameters from the cell contours. Then, the machine learning for cell identification was performed to preliminarily verify the rationality of multiparameter mechanical phenotyping. The experiments on characterizing cells after cytoskeletal modification verified that multiple parameters extracted from the cell contours contributed to an identification accuracy of over 80%. Through continuous frame analysis of the cell deformation process, we found that temporal variation and an average level of parameters were correlated with cell type. To achieve quasi-real-time and high-precision multiplex-type cell detection, we constructed a back propagation (BP) neural network model to complete the fast identification of four cell lines. The multiparameter detection method based on time series achieved cell detection with an accuracy of over 90%. To solve the challenges of cell rarity and data lacking for clinical samples, based on the developed BP neural network model, the transfer learning method was used for the identification of three different clinical samples, and finally, a high identification accuracy of approximately 95% was achieved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zheng Zhou
- School of Mechanical Engineering and Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Design and Manufacture of Micro-Nano Biomedical Instruments, Southeast University, Nanjing 211189, China
| | - Kefan Guo
- School of Mechanical Engineering and Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Design and Manufacture of Micro-Nano Biomedical Instruments, Southeast University, Nanjing 211189, China
| | - Shu Zhu
- School of Mechanical Engineering and Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Design and Manufacture of Micro-Nano Biomedical Instruments, Southeast University, Nanjing 211189, China
| | - Chen Ni
- School of Mechanical Engineering and Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Design and Manufacture of Micro-Nano Biomedical Instruments, Southeast University, Nanjing 211189, China
| | - Zhonghua Ni
- School of Mechanical Engineering and Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Design and Manufacture of Micro-Nano Biomedical Instruments, Southeast University, Nanjing 211189, China
| | - Nan Xiang
- School of Mechanical Engineering and Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Design and Manufacture of Micro-Nano Biomedical Instruments, Southeast University, Nanjing 211189, China
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Smith IM, Ursitti JA, Majeti P, Givpoor N, Stemberger MB, Hengen A, Banerjee S, Stains J, Martin SS, Ward C, Stroka KM. High throughput cell mechanotyping of cell response to cytoskeletal modulations using a microfluidic cell deformation system. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.06.17.599307. [PMID: 38948841 PMCID: PMC11212920 DOI: 10.1101/2024.06.17.599307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/02/2024]
Abstract
Cellular mechanical properties influence cellular functions across pathological and physiological systems. The observation of these mechanical properties is limited in part by methods with a low throughput of acquisition or with low accessibility. To overcome these limitations, we have designed, developed, validated, and optimized a microfluidic cellular deformation system (MCDS) capable of mechanotyping suspended cells on a population level at a high throughput rate of ∼300 cells pers second. The MCDS provides researchers with a viable method for efficiently quantifying cellular mechanical properties towards defining prognostic implications of mechanical changes in pathology or screening drugs to modulate cytoskeletal integrity.
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Chapman M, Rajagopal V, Stewart A, Collins DJ. Critical review of single-cell mechanotyping approaches for biomedical applications. LAB ON A CHIP 2024; 24:3036-3063. [PMID: 38804123 DOI: 10.1039/d3lc00978e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
Accurate mechanical measurements of cells has the potential to improve diagnostics, therapeutics and advance understanding of disease mechanisms, where high-resolution mechanical information can be measured by deforming individual cells. Here we evaluate recently developed techniques for measuring cell-scale stiffness properties; while many such techniques have been developed, much of the work examining single-cell stiffness is impacted by difficulties in standardization and comparability, giving rise to large variations in reported mechanical moduli. We highlight the role of underlying mechanical theories driving this variability, and note opportunities to develop novel mechanotyping devices and theoretical models that facilitate convenient and accurate mechanical characterisation. Moreover, many high-throughput approaches are confounded by factors including cell size, surface friction, natural population heterogeneity and convolution of elastic and viscous contributions to cell deformability. We nevertheless identify key approaches based on deformability cytometry as a promising direction for further development, where both high-throughput and accurate single-cell resolutions can be realized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Max Chapman
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
| | - Vijay Rajagopal
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
| | - Alastair Stewart
- ARC Centre for Personalised Therapeutics Technologies, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
- Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - David J Collins
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
- Graeme Clarke Institute University of Melbourne Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
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Lu R, Yu P, Sui Y. A computational study of cell membrane damage and intracellular delivery in a cross-slot microchannel. SOFT MATTER 2024; 20:4057-4071. [PMID: 38578041 DOI: 10.1039/d4sm00047a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/06/2024]
Abstract
We propose a three-dimensional computational framework to simulate the flow-induced cell membrane damage and the resulting enhanced intracellular mass transport in a cross-slot microchannel. We model the cell as a liquid droplet enclosed by a viscoelastic membrane and solve the cell deformation using a well-tested immersed-boundary lattice-Boltzmann method. The cell membrane damage, which is directly related to the membrane permeability, is considered using continuum damage mechanics. The transport of the diffusive solute into the cell is solved by a lattice-Boltzmann model. After validating the computational framework against several benchmark cases, we consider a cell flowing through a cross-slot microchannel, focusing on the effects of the flow strength, channel fluid viscosity and cell membrane viscosity on the membrane damage and enhanced intracellular transport. Interestingly, we find that under a comparable pressure drop across the device, for cells with low membrane viscosity, the inertial flow regime, which can be achieved by driving a low-viscosity liquid at a high speed, often leads to much larger membrane damage, compared with the high-viscosity low-speed viscous flow regime. However, the enhancement can be significantly reduced or even reversed by an increase of the cell membrane viscosity, which limits cell deformation, particularly in the inertial flow regime. Our computational framework and simulation results may guide the design and optimisation of microfluidic devices, which use cross-slot geometry to disrupt cell membranes to enhance intracellular delivery of solutes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruixin Lu
- School of Mechanical Engineering, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai 200093, China.
- School of Engineering and Materials Science, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 4NS, UK.
| | - Peng Yu
- Department of Mechanics and Aerospace Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Yi Sui
- School of Engineering and Materials Science, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 4NS, UK.
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Chen Y, Ni C, Jiang L, Ni Z, Xiang N. Inertial Multi-Force Deformability Cytometry for High-Throughput, High-Accuracy, and High-Applicability Tumor Cell Mechanotyping. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2024; 20:e2303962. [PMID: 37789502 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202303962] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2023] [Revised: 09/23/2023] [Indexed: 10/05/2023]
Abstract
Previous on-chip technologies for characterizing the cellular mechanical properties often suffer from a low throughput and limited sensitivity. Herein, an inertial multi-force deformability cytometry (IMFDC) is developed for high-throughput, high-accuracy, and high-applicability tumor cell mechanotyping. Three different deformations, including shear deformations and stretch deformations under different forces, are integrated with the IMFDC. The 3D inertial focusing of cells enables the cells to deform by an identical fluid flow, and 10 parameters, such as cell area, perimeter, deformability, roundness, and rectangle deformability, are obtained in three deformations. The IMFDC is able to evaluate the deformability of different cells that are sensitive to different forces on a single chip, demonstrating the high applicability of the IMFDC in analyzing different cell lines. In identifying cell types, the three deformations exhibit different mechanical responses to cells with different sizes and deformability. A discrimination accuracy of ≈93% for both MDA-MB-231 and MCF-10A cells and a throughput of ≈500 cells s-1 can be achieved using the multiple-parameters-based machine learning model. Finally, the mechanical properties of metastatic tumor cells in pleural and peritoneal effusions are characterized, enabling the practical application of the IMFDC in clinical cancer diagnosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yao Chen
- School of Mechanical Engineering, and Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Design and Manufacture of Micro-Nano Biomedical Instruments, Southeast University, Nanjing, 211189, China
| | - Chen Ni
- School of Mechanical Engineering, and Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Design and Manufacture of Micro-Nano Biomedical Instruments, Southeast University, Nanjing, 211189, China
| | - Lin Jiang
- School of Mechanical Engineering, and Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Design and Manufacture of Micro-Nano Biomedical Instruments, Southeast University, Nanjing, 211189, China
| | - Zhonghua Ni
- School of Mechanical Engineering, and Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Design and Manufacture of Micro-Nano Biomedical Instruments, Southeast University, Nanjing, 211189, China
| | - Nan Xiang
- School of Mechanical Engineering, and Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Design and Manufacture of Micro-Nano Biomedical Instruments, Southeast University, Nanjing, 211189, China
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8
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Sun J, Huang X, Chen J, Xiang R, Ke X, Lin S, Xuan W, Liu S, Cao Z, Sun L. Recent advances in deformation-assisted microfluidic cell sorting technologies. Analyst 2023; 148:4922-4938. [PMID: 37743834 DOI: 10.1039/d3an01150j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/26/2023]
Abstract
Cell sorting is an essential prerequisite for cell research and has great value in life science and clinical studies. Among the many microfluidic cell sorting technologies, label-free methods based on the size of different cell types have been widely studied. However, the heterogeneity in size for cells of the same type and the inevitable size overlap between different types of cells would result in performance degradation in size-based sorting. To tackle such challenges, deformation-assisted technologies are receiving more attention recently. Cell deformability is an inherent biophysical marker of cells that reflects the changes in their internal structures and physiological states. It provides additional dimensional information for cell sorting besides size. Therefore, in this review, we summarize the recent advances in deformation-assisted microfluidic cell sorting technologies. According to how the deformability is characterized and the form in which the force acts, the technologies can be divided into two categories: (1) the indirect category including transit-time-based and image-based methods, and (2) the direct category including microstructure-based and hydrodynamics-based methods. Finally, the separation performance and the application scenarios of each method, the existing challenges and future outlook are discussed. Deformation-assisted microfluidic cell sorting technologies are expected to realize greater potential in the label-free analysis of cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingjing Sun
- Ministry of Education Key Lab of RF Circuits and Systems, Hangzhou Dianzi University, China.
| | - Xiwei Huang
- Ministry of Education Key Lab of RF Circuits and Systems, Hangzhou Dianzi University, China.
| | - Jin Chen
- Ministry of Education Key Lab of RF Circuits and Systems, Hangzhou Dianzi University, China.
| | - Rikui Xiang
- Ministry of Education Key Lab of RF Circuits and Systems, Hangzhou Dianzi University, China.
| | - Xiang Ke
- Ministry of Education Key Lab of RF Circuits and Systems, Hangzhou Dianzi University, China.
| | - Siru Lin
- Ministry of Education Key Lab of RF Circuits and Systems, Hangzhou Dianzi University, China.
| | - Weipeng Xuan
- Ministry of Education Key Lab of RF Circuits and Systems, Hangzhou Dianzi University, China.
| | - Shan Liu
- Sichuan Provincial Key Laboratory for Human Disease Gene Study, Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences & Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, China
| | - Zhen Cao
- College of Information Science and Electronic Engineering, Zhejiang University, China
| | - Lingling Sun
- Ministry of Education Key Lab of RF Circuits and Systems, Hangzhou Dianzi University, China.
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Yadav S, Singha P, Nguyen NK, Ooi CH, Kashaninejad N, Nguyen NT. Uniaxial Cyclic Cell Stretching Device for Accelerating Cellular Studies. MICROMACHINES 2023; 14:1537. [PMID: 37630073 PMCID: PMC10456305 DOI: 10.3390/mi14081537] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2023] [Revised: 07/24/2023] [Accepted: 07/29/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023]
Abstract
Cellular response to mechanical stimuli is a crucial factor for maintaining cell homeostasis. The interaction between the extracellular matrix and mechanical stress plays a significant role in organizing the cytoskeleton and aligning cells. Tools that apply mechanical forces to cells and tissues, as well as those capable of measuring the mechanical properties of biological cells, have greatly contributed to our understanding of fundamental mechanobiology. These tools have been extensively employed to unveil the substantial influence of mechanical cues on the development and progression of various diseases. In this report, we present an economical and high-performance uniaxial cell stretching device. This paper reports the detailed operation concept of the device, experimental design, and characterization. The device was tested with MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells. The experimental results agree well with previously documented morphological changes resulting from stretching forces on cancer cells. Remarkably, our new device demonstrates comparable cellular changes within 30 min compared with the previous 2 h stretching duration. This third-generation device significantly improved the stretching capabilities compared with its previous counterparts, resulting in a remarkable reduction in stretching time and a substantial increase in overall efficiency. Moreover, the device design incorporates an open-source software interface, facilitating convenient parameter adjustments such as strain, stretching speed, frequency, and duration. Its versatility enables seamless integration with various optical microscopes, thereby yielding novel insights into the realm of mechanobiology.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Nam-Trung Nguyen
- Queensland Micro- and Nanotechnology Centre (QMNC), Griffith University, Nathan, QLD 4111, Australia; (S.Y.); (P.S.); (N.-K.N.); (C.H.O.); (N.K.)
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An L, Ji F, Zhao E, Liu Y, Liu Y. Measuring cell deformation by microfluidics. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2023; 11:1214544. [PMID: 37434754 PMCID: PMC10331473 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2023.1214544] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2023] [Accepted: 06/14/2023] [Indexed: 07/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Microfluidics is an increasingly popular method for studying cell deformation, with various applications in fields such as cell biology, biophysics, and medical research. Characterizing cell deformation offers insights into fundamental cell processes, such as migration, division, and signaling. This review summarizes recent advances in microfluidic techniques for measuring cellular deformation, including the different types of microfluidic devices and methods used to induce cell deformation. Recent applications of microfluidics-based approaches for studying cell deformation are highlighted. Compared to traditional methods, microfluidic chips can control the direction and velocity of cell flow by establishing microfluidic channels and microcolumn arrays, enabling the measurement of cell shape changes. Overall, microfluidics-based approaches provide a powerful platform for studying cell deformation. It is expected that future developments will lead to more intelligent and diverse microfluidic chips, further promoting the application of microfluidics-based methods in biomedical research, providing more effective tools for disease diagnosis, drug screening, and treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ling An
- School of Engineering, Dali University, Dali, Yunnan, China
| | - Fenglong Ji
- School of Textile Materials and Engineering, Wuyi University, Jiangmen, Guangdong, China
| | - Enming Zhao
- School of Engineering, Dali University, Dali, Yunnan, China
| | - Yi Liu
- School of Engineering, Dali University, Dali, Yunnan, China
| | - Yaling Liu
- Department of Bioengineering, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA, United States
- Department of Mechanical Engineering and Mechanics, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA, United States
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Yu L, Chen L, Liu Y, Zhu J, Wang F, Ma L, Yi K, Xiao H, Zhou F, Wang F, Bai L, Zhu Y, Xiao X, Yang Y. Magnetically Actuated Hydrogel Stamping-Assisted Cellular Mechanical Analyzer for Stored Blood Quality Detection. ACS Sens 2023; 8:1183-1191. [PMID: 36867892 DOI: 10.1021/acssensors.2c02507] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/05/2023]
Abstract
Cellular mechanical property analysis reflecting the physiological and pathological states of cells plays a crucial role in assessing the quality of stored blood. However, its complex equipment needs, operation difficulty, and clogging issues hinder automated and rapid biomechanical testing. Here, we propose a promising biosensor assisted by magnetically actuated hydrogel stamping to fulfill it. The flexible magnetic actuator triggers the collective deformation of multiple cells in the light-cured hydrogel, and it allows for on-demand bioforce stimulation with the advantages of portability, cost-effectiveness, and simplicity of operation. The magnetically manipulated cell deformation processes are captured by the integrated miniaturized optical imaging system, and the cellular mechanical property parameters are extracted from the captured images for real-time analysis and intelligent sensing. In this work, 30 clinical blood samples with different storage durations (<14 days and >14 days) were tested. A deviation of 3.3% in the differentiation of blood storage durations by this system compared to physician annotation demonstrated its feasibility. This system should broaden the application of cellular mechanical assays in diverse clinical settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Le Yu
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Institute of Medicine and Physics, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Key Laboratory of Artificial Micro- and Nano-Structures of Ministry of Education, School of Physics & Technology, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
- Shenzhen Research Institute, Wuhan University, Shenzhen 518000, China
| | - Longfei Chen
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Institute of Medicine and Physics, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Key Laboratory of Artificial Micro- and Nano-Structures of Ministry of Education, School of Physics & Technology, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
- Shenzhen Research Institute, Wuhan University, Shenzhen 518000, China
| | - Yantong Liu
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Institute of Medicine and Physics, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Key Laboratory of Artificial Micro- and Nano-Structures of Ministry of Education, School of Physics & Technology, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
- Shenzhen Research Institute, Wuhan University, Shenzhen 518000, China
| | - Jiaomeng Zhu
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Institute of Medicine and Physics, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Key Laboratory of Artificial Micro- and Nano-Structures of Ministry of Education, School of Physics & Technology, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Fang Wang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Institute of Medicine and Physics, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Key Laboratory of Artificial Micro- and Nano-Structures of Ministry of Education, School of Physics & Technology, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Linlu Ma
- Department of Hematology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Kezhen Yi
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Hui Xiao
- Department of Hematology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Fuling Zhou
- Department of Hematology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Fubing Wang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Long Bai
- School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China
| | - Yimin Zhu
- School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China
| | - Xuan Xiao
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Institute of Medicine and Physics, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Key Laboratory of Artificial Micro- and Nano-Structures of Ministry of Education, School of Physics & Technology, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Yi Yang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Institute of Medicine and Physics, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Key Laboratory of Artificial Micro- and Nano-Structures of Ministry of Education, School of Physics & Technology, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
- Shenzhen Research Institute, Wuhan University, Shenzhen 518000, China
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Lu N, Tay HM, Petchakup C, He L, Gong L, Maw KK, Leong SY, Lok WW, Ong HB, Guo R, Li KHH, Hou HW. Label-free microfluidic cell sorting and detection for rapid blood analysis. LAB ON A CHIP 2023; 23:1226-1257. [PMID: 36655549 DOI: 10.1039/d2lc00904h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Blood tests are considered as standard clinical procedures to screen for markers of diseases and health conditions. However, the complex cellular background (>99.9% RBCs) and biomolecular composition often pose significant technical challenges for accurate blood analysis. An emerging approach for point-of-care blood diagnostics is utilizing "label-free" microfluidic technologies that rely on intrinsic cell properties for blood fractionation and disease detection without any antibody binding. A growing body of clinical evidence has also reported that cellular dysfunction and their biophysical phenotypes are complementary to standard hematoanalyzer analysis (complete blood count) and can provide a more comprehensive health profiling. In this review, we will summarize recent advances in microfluidic label-free separation of different blood cell components including circulating tumor cells, leukocytes, platelets and nanoscale extracellular vesicles. Label-free single cell analysis of intrinsic cell morphology, spectrochemical properties, dielectric parameters and biophysical characteristics as novel blood-based biomarkers will also be presented. Next, we will highlight research efforts that combine label-free microfluidics with machine learning approaches to enhance detection sensitivity and specificity in clinical studies, as well as innovative microfluidic solutions which are capable of fully integrated and label-free blood cell sorting and analysis. Lastly, we will envisage the current challenges and future outlook of label-free microfluidics platforms for high throughput multi-dimensional blood cell analysis to identify non-traditional circulating biomarkers for clinical diagnostics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nan Lu
- School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, Blk N3, Level 2, Room 86 (N3-02c-86), 639798, Singapore.
- HP-NTU Digital Manufacturing Corporate Lab, Nanyang Technological University, 65 Nanyang Drive, Block N3, 637460, Singapore
| | - Hui Min Tay
- School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, Blk N3, Level 2, Room 86 (N3-02c-86), 639798, Singapore.
| | - Chayakorn Petchakup
- School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, Blk N3, Level 2, Room 86 (N3-02c-86), 639798, Singapore.
| | - Linwei He
- School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, Blk N3, Level 2, Room 86 (N3-02c-86), 639798, Singapore.
| | - Lingyan Gong
- School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, Blk N3, Level 2, Room 86 (N3-02c-86), 639798, Singapore.
| | - Kay Khine Maw
- School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, Blk N3, Level 2, Room 86 (N3-02c-86), 639798, Singapore.
| | - Sheng Yuan Leong
- School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, Blk N3, Level 2, Room 86 (N3-02c-86), 639798, Singapore.
| | - Wan Wei Lok
- School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, Blk N3, Level 2, Room 86 (N3-02c-86), 639798, Singapore.
| | - Hong Boon Ong
- School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, Blk N3, Level 2, Room 86 (N3-02c-86), 639798, Singapore.
| | - Ruya Guo
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Information Acquisition Technology, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - King Ho Holden Li
- School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, Blk N3, Level 2, Room 86 (N3-02c-86), 639798, Singapore.
- HP-NTU Digital Manufacturing Corporate Lab, Nanyang Technological University, 65 Nanyang Drive, Block N3, 637460, Singapore
| | - Han Wei Hou
- School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, Blk N3, Level 2, Room 86 (N3-02c-86), 639798, Singapore.
- HP-NTU Digital Manufacturing Corporate Lab, Nanyang Technological University, 65 Nanyang Drive, Block N3, 637460, Singapore
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, 11 Mandalay Road, Clinical Sciences Building, 308232, Singapore
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13
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Chen L, Guo X, Sun X, Zhang S, Wu J, Yu H, Zhang T, Cheng W, Shi Y, Pan L. Porous Structural Microfluidic Device for Biomedical Diagnosis: A Review. MICROMACHINES 2023; 14:547. [PMID: 36984956 PMCID: PMC10051279 DOI: 10.3390/mi14030547] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2023] [Revised: 02/21/2023] [Accepted: 02/22/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Microfluidics has recently received more and more attention in applications such as biomedical, chemical and medicine. With the development of microelectronics technology as well as material science in recent years, microfluidic devices have made great progress. Porous structures as a discontinuous medium in which the special flow phenomena of fluids lead to their potential and special applications in microfluidics offer a unique way to develop completely new microfluidic chips. In this article, we firstly introduce the fabrication methods for porous structures of different materials. Then, the physical effects of microfluid flow in porous media and their related physical models are discussed. Finally, the state-of-the-art porous microfluidic chips and their applications in biomedicine are summarized, and we present the current problems and future directions in this field.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Xidi Sun
- Correspondence: (X.S.); (Y.S.); (L.P.)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Yi Shi
- Correspondence: (X.S.); (Y.S.); (L.P.)
| | - Lijia Pan
- Correspondence: (X.S.); (Y.S.); (L.P.)
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14
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Serhatlioglu M, Jensen EA, Niora M, Hansen AT, Nielsen CF, Jansman MMT, Hosta-Rigau L, Dziegiel MH, Berg-Sørensen K, Hickson ID, Kristensen A. Viscoelastic Capillary Flow Cytometry. ADVANCED NANOBIOMED RESEARCH 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/anbr.202200137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Murat Serhatlioglu
- Department of Health Technology Technical University of Denmark Ørsteds Plads Building 345C 2800 Kongens Lyngby Denmark
| | - Emil Alstrup Jensen
- Department of Health Technology Technical University of Denmark Ørsteds Plads Building 345C 2800 Kongens Lyngby Denmark
| | - Maria Niora
- Department of Health Technology Technical University of Denmark Ørsteds Plads Building 345C 2800 Kongens Lyngby Denmark
| | - Anne Todsen Hansen
- Department of Clinical Immunology University of Copenhagen Blegdamsvej 9 2100 København Ø Denmark
| | - Christian Friberg Nielsen
- Center for Chromosome Stability Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine University of Copenhagen 2200 København N. Denmark
| | | | - Leticia Hosta-Rigau
- Department of Health Technology Technical University of Denmark Ørsteds Plads Building 345C 2800 Kongens Lyngby Denmark
| | - Morten Hanefeld Dziegiel
- Department of Clinical Immunology University of Copenhagen Blegdamsvej 9 2100 København Ø Denmark
- Department of Clinical Medicine University of Copenhagen Blegdamsvej 3B 2200 København N. Denmark
| | - Kirstine Berg-Sørensen
- Department of Health Technology Technical University of Denmark Ørsteds Plads Building 345C 2800 Kongens Lyngby Denmark
| | - Ian David Hickson
- Center for Chromosome Stability Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine University of Copenhagen 2200 København N. Denmark
| | - Anders Kristensen
- Department of Health Technology Technical University of Denmark Ørsteds Plads Building 345C 2800 Kongens Lyngby Denmark
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15
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Chen H, Guo J, Bian F, Zhao Y. Microfluidic technologies for cell deformability cytometry. SMART MEDICINE 2022; 1:e20220001. [PMID: 39188737 PMCID: PMC11235995 DOI: 10.1002/smmd.20220001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2022] [Accepted: 09/06/2022] [Indexed: 08/28/2024]
Abstract
Microfluidic detection methods for cell deformability cytometry have been regarded as powerful tools for single-cell analysis of cellular mechanical phenotypes, thus having been widely applied in the fields of cell preparation, separation, clinical diagnostics and so on. Featured with traits like easy operations, low cost and high throughput, such methods have shown great potentials on investigating physiological state and pathological changes during cellular deformation. Herein, a review on the advancements of microfluidic-based cell deformation cytometry is presented. We discuss several representative microfluidic-based cell deformability cytometry methods with their frontiers in practical applications. Finally, we analyze the current status and propose the remaining challenges with future perspectives and development directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanxu Chen
- Department of Clinical LaboratoryNanjing Drum Tower HospitalSchool of Biological Science and Medical EngineeringSoutheast UniversityNanjing, JiangsuChina
| | - Jiahui Guo
- Department of Clinical LaboratoryNanjing Drum Tower HospitalSchool of Biological Science and Medical EngineeringSoutheast UniversityNanjing, JiangsuChina
| | - Feika Bian
- Department of Clinical LaboratoryNanjing Drum Tower HospitalSchool of Biological Science and Medical EngineeringSoutheast UniversityNanjing, JiangsuChina
| | - Yuanjin Zhao
- Department of Clinical LaboratoryNanjing Drum Tower HospitalSchool of Biological Science and Medical EngineeringSoutheast UniversityNanjing, JiangsuChina
- Oujiang Laboratory (Zhejiang Lab for Regenerative Medicine, Vision and Brain Health)Wenzhou InstituteUniversity of Chinese Academy of SciencesWenzhouZhejiangChina
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16
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Ni C, Zhou Z, Zhu Z, Jiang D, Xiang N. Controllable Size-Independent Three-Dimensional Inertial Focusing in High-Aspect-Ratio Asymmetric Serpentine Microchannels. Anal Chem 2022; 94:15639-15647. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.2c02361] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Chen Ni
- School of Mechanical Engineering and Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Design and Manufacture of Micro-Nano Biomedical Instruments, Southeast University, Nanjing211189, China
| | - Zheng Zhou
- School of Mechanical Engineering and Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Design and Manufacture of Micro-Nano Biomedical Instruments, Southeast University, Nanjing211189, China
| | - Zhixian Zhu
- School of Mechanical Engineering and Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Design and Manufacture of Micro-Nano Biomedical Instruments, Southeast University, Nanjing211189, China
| | - Di Jiang
- College of Mechanical and Electronic Engineering, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing210037, China
- Jiangsu Yuyue Medical Equipment and Supply Co., Ltd., Jiangsu, Danyang212300, China
| | - Nan Xiang
- School of Mechanical Engineering and Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Design and Manufacture of Micro-Nano Biomedical Instruments, Southeast University, Nanjing211189, China
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17
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Liang M, Zhong J, Ai Y. A Systematic Study of Size Correlation and Young's Modulus Sensitivity for Cellular Mechanical Phenotyping by Microfluidic Approaches. Adv Healthc Mater 2022; 11:e2200628. [PMID: 35852381 DOI: 10.1002/adhm.202200628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2022] [Revised: 06/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Cellular mechanical properties are a class of intrinsic biophysical markers for cell state and health. Microfluidic mechanical phenotyping methods have emerged as promising tools to overcome the challenges of low throughput and high demand for manual skills in conventional approaches. In this work, two types of microfluidic cellular mechanical phenotyping methods, contactless hydro-stretching deformability cytometry (lh-DC) and contact constriction deformability cytometry (cc-DC) are comprehensively studied and compared. Polymerized hydrogel beads with defined sizes are used to characterize a strong negative correlation between size and deformability in cc-DC (r = -0.95), while lh-DC presents a weak positive correlation (r = 0.13). Young's modulus sensitivity in cc-DC is size-dependent while it is a constant in lh-DC. Moreover, the deformability assessment for human breast cell line mixture suggests the lh-DC exhibits better differentiation capability of cells with different size distributions, while cc-DC provides higher sensitivity to identify cellular mechanical changes within a single cell line. This work is the first to present a quantitative study and comparison of size correlation and Young's modulus sensitivity of contactless and contact microfluidic mechanical phenotyping methods, which provides guidance to choose the most suitable cellular mechanical phenotyping platform for specific cell analysis applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minhui Liang
- Pillar of Engineering Product Development, Singapore University of Technology and Design, 8 Somapah Road, Singapore, 487372, Singapore
| | - Jianwei Zhong
- Pillar of Engineering Product Development, Singapore University of Technology and Design, 8 Somapah Road, Singapore, 487372, Singapore
| | - Ye Ai
- Pillar of Engineering Product Development, Singapore University of Technology and Design, 8 Somapah Road, Singapore, 487372, Singapore
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18
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19
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Petchakup C, Yang H, Gong L, He L, Tay HM, Dalan R, Chung AJ, Li KHH, Hou HW. Microfluidic Impedance-Deformability Cytometry for Label-Free Single Neutrophil Mechanophenotyping. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2022; 18:e2104822. [PMID: 35253966 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202104822] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2021] [Revised: 01/03/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The intrinsic biophysical states of neutrophils are associated with immune dysfunctions in diseases. While advanced image-based biophysical flow cytometers can probe cell deformability at high throughput, it is nontrivial to couple different sensing modalities (e.g., electrical) to measure other critical cell attributes including cell viability and membrane integrity. Herein, an "optics-free" impedance-deformability cytometer for multiparametric single cell mechanophenotyping is reported. The microfluidic platform integrates hydrodynamic cell pinching, and multifrequency impedance quantification of cell size, deformability, and membrane impedance (indicative of cell viability and activation). A newly-defined "electrical deformability index" is validated by numerical simulations, and shows strong correlations with the optical cell deformability index of HL-60 experimentally. Human neutrophils treated with various biochemical stimul are further profiled, and distinct differences in multimodal impedance signatures and UMAP analysis are observed. Overall, the integrated cytometer enables label-free cell profiling at throughput of >1000 cells min-1 without any antibodies labeling to facilitate clinical diagnostics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chayakorn Petchakup
- School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, Singapore, 639798, Singapore
| | - Haoning Yang
- School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, Singapore, 639798, Singapore
| | - Lingyan Gong
- School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, Singapore, 639798, Singapore
| | - Linwei He
- School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, Singapore, 639798, Singapore
| | - Hui Min Tay
- School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, Singapore, 639798, Singapore
| | - Rinkoo Dalan
- Endocrinology Department, Tan Tock Seng Hospital, 11 Jln Tan Tock Seng Road, Singapore, 308433, Singapore
| | - Aram J Chung
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea
- Interdisciplinary Program in Precision Public Health, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - King Ho Holden Li
- School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, Singapore, 639798, Singapore
| | - Han Wei Hou
- School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, Singapore, 639798, Singapore
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, 11 Mandalay Road, Clinical Sciences Building Level 11, Singapore, 308232, Singapore
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20
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Choi G, Tang Z, Guan W. Microfluidic high-throughput single-cell mechanotyping: Devices and
applications. NANOTECHNOLOGY AND PRECISION ENGINEERING 2021. [DOI: 10.1063/10.0006042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Gihoon Choi
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802,
USA
| | - Zifan Tang
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802,
USA
| | - Weihua Guan
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802,
USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802,
USA
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21
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Liu Y, Wang K, Sun X, Chen D, Wang J, Chen J. Advance of microfluidic constriction channel system of measuring single-cell cortical tension/specific capacitance of membrane and conductivity of cytoplasm. Cytometry A 2021; 101:434-447. [PMID: 34821462 DOI: 10.1002/cyto.a.24517] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2021] [Revised: 10/14/2021] [Accepted: 11/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
This paper reported a microfluidic platform which realized the characterization of inherent single-cell biomechanical and bioelectrical parameters simultaneously. Individual cells traveled through a constriction channel with deformation images and impedance variations captured and processed into cortical tension Tc , specific membrane capacitance Csm , and cytoplasmic conductivity σcy based on an equivalent biophysical model. These properties of thousands of individual cells of K562, Jurkat, HL-60, HL-60 treated with paraformaldehyde (PA)/cytochalasin D (CD)/concanavalin A (ConA), granulocytes of Donor 1, Donor 2, and Donor 3 were quantified for the first time. Leveraging Tc , Csm , and σcy , (1) high accuracies of classifying wild-type and processed HL-60 cells (e.g., 93.5% of PA treated vs. CD treated HL-60 cells) were realized, revealing the effectiveness of using these three biophysical parameters in cell-type classification; (2) low accuracies of classifying normal granulocytes from three donors (e.g., 56.4% of Donor 1 vs. 2), indicating comparable parameters for normal granulocytes. In conclusion, this platform can characterize single-cell Tc , Csm , and σcy concurrently and quantify multiple parameters in single-cell analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Transducer Technology (SKLTT), Aerospace Information Research Institute (AIR), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing, China.,School of Electronic, Electrical and Communication Engineering (EECE), University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (UCAS), Beijing, China
| | - Ke Wang
- School of Electronic Engineering, Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaohao Sun
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado, USA
| | - Deyong Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Transducer Technology (SKLTT), Aerospace Information Research Institute (AIR), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing, China.,School of Electronic, Electrical and Communication Engineering (EECE), University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (UCAS), Beijing, China.,School of Future Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (UCAS), Beijing, China
| | - Junbo Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Transducer Technology (SKLTT), Aerospace Information Research Institute (AIR), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing, China.,School of Electronic, Electrical and Communication Engineering (EECE), University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (UCAS), Beijing, China.,School of Future Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (UCAS), Beijing, China
| | - Jian Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Transducer Technology (SKLTT), Aerospace Information Research Institute (AIR), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing, China.,School of Electronic, Electrical and Communication Engineering (EECE), University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (UCAS), Beijing, China.,School of Future Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (UCAS), Beijing, China
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22
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Chrit FE, Raj A, Young KM, Stone NE, Shankles PG, Lokireddy K, Flowers C, Waller EK, Alexeev A, Sulchek T. Microfluidic Platform to Transduce Cell Viability to Distinct Flow Pathways for High-Accuracy Sensing. ACS Sens 2021; 6:3789-3799. [PMID: 34546721 DOI: 10.1021/acssensors.1c01770] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Mechanical properties of cells such as stiffness can act as biomarkers to sort or detect cell functional properties such as viability. In this study, we report the use of a microfluidic device as a high-sensitivity sensor that transduces cell biomechanics to cell separation to accurately detect viability. Cell populations are flowed and deflected at a number of skew ridges such that deflection per ridge, cell-ridge interaction time, and cell size can all be used as sensor inputs to accurately determine the cell state. The angle of the ridges was evaluated to optimize the differences in cell translation between viable and nonviable cells while allowing continuous flow. In the first mode of operation, we flowed viable and nonviable cells through the device and conducted a sensitivity analysis by recording the cell's total deflection as a binary classifier that differentiates viable from nonviable cells. The performance of the sensor was assessed using an area under the curve (AUC) analysis to be 0.97. By including additional sensor inputs in the second mode of operation, we conducted a principal component analysis (PCA) to further improve the identification of the cell state by clustering populations with little overlap between viable and nonviable cells. We therefore found that microfluidic separation devices can be used to efficiently sort cells and accurately sense viability in a label-free manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fatima Ezahra Chrit
- George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States
| | - Abhishek Raj
- George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States
| | - Katherine M. Young
- The Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology & Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States
| | - Nicholas E. Stone
- George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States
| | - Peter G. Shankles
- George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States
| | - Kesiharjun Lokireddy
- George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States
| | - Christopher Flowers
- Winship Cancer Institute, Emory School of Medicine, 1365 Clifton NE Road, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, United States
| | - Edmund K. Waller
- Winship Cancer Institute, Emory School of Medicine, 1365 Clifton NE Road, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, United States
| | - Alexander Alexeev
- George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States
| | - Todd Sulchek
- George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States
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23
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Zhou Z, Chen Y, Zhu S, Liu L, Ni Z, Xiang N. Inertial microfluidics for high-throughput cell analysis and detection: a review. Analyst 2021; 146:6064-6083. [PMID: 34490431 DOI: 10.1039/d1an00983d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Since it was first proposed in 2007, inertial microfluidics has been extensively studied in terms of theory, design, fabrication, and application. In recent years, with the rapid development of microfabrication technologies, a variety of channel structures that can focus, concentrate, separate, and capture bioparticles or fluids have been designed and manufactured to extend the range of potential biomedical applications of inertial microfluidics. Due to the advantages of high throughput, simplicity, and low device cost, inertial microfluidics is a promising candidate for rapid sample processing, especially for large-volume samples with low-abundance targets. As an approach to cellular sample pretreatment, inertial microfluidics has been widely employed to ensure downstream cell analysis and detection. In this review, a comprehensive summary of the application of inertial microfluidics for high-throughput cell analysis and detection is presented. According to application areas, the recent advances can be sorted into label-free cell mechanical phenotyping, sheathless flow cytometric counting, electrical impedance cytometer, high-throughput cellular image analysis, and other methods. Finally, the challenges and prospects of inertial microfluidics for cell analysis and detection are summarized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zheng Zhou
- School of Mechanical Engineering, and Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Design and Manufacture of Micro-Nano Biomedical Instruments, Southeast University, Nanjing, 211189, China.
| | - Yao Chen
- School of Mechanical Engineering, and Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Design and Manufacture of Micro-Nano Biomedical Instruments, Southeast University, Nanjing, 211189, China.
| | - Shu Zhu
- School of Mechanical Engineering, and Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Design and Manufacture of Micro-Nano Biomedical Instruments, Southeast University, Nanjing, 211189, China.
| | - Linbo Liu
- School of Mechanical Engineering, and Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Design and Manufacture of Micro-Nano Biomedical Instruments, Southeast University, Nanjing, 211189, China.
| | - Zhonghua Ni
- School of Mechanical Engineering, and Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Design and Manufacture of Micro-Nano Biomedical Instruments, Southeast University, Nanjing, 211189, China.
| | - Nan Xiang
- School of Mechanical Engineering, and Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Design and Manufacture of Micro-Nano Biomedical Instruments, Southeast University, Nanjing, 211189, China.
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24
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Tang M, Chen J, Lei J, Ai Z, Liu F, Hong SL, Liu K. Precise and convenient size barcode on microfluidic chip for multiplex biomarker detection. Analyst 2021; 146:5892-5897. [PMID: 34494037 DOI: 10.1039/d1an01265g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
The existing multiplex biomarker detection methods are limited by the high demand for coding material and expensive detection equipment. This paper proposes a convenient and precise coding method based on a wedge-shaped microfluidic chip, which can be further applied in multiplex biomarker detection. The proposed microfluidic chip has a microchannel with continuously varying height, which can naturally separate and code microparticles of different sizes. Our data indicate that this method can be applied to code more than 5 or 7 kinds of microparticles, even when their size discrepancies are smaller than 1 μm. Based on these, multiplex biomarker detection can be implemented by using microparticles of different sizes, hence each kind of microparticle that coats one kind of antibody represents the species of targets. This method is simple and easy to operate, with no clogging or sophisticated coding design, showing its significant potential in the area of point-of-care tests (POCT).
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Affiliation(s)
- Man Tang
- School of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, Wuhan Textile University, Wuhan 430200, People's Republic of China. .,Hubei Engineering and Technology Research Centre for Functional Fibre Fabrication and Testing, Wuhan Textile University, Wuhan 430200, People's Republic of China.,Hubei Province Engineering Research Centre for Intelligent Micro-nano Medical Equipment and Key Technologies, Wuhan 30200, People's Republic of China
| | - Jinyao Chen
- School of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, Wuhan Textile University, Wuhan 430200, People's Republic of China.
| | - Jia Lei
- School of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, Wuhan Textile University, Wuhan 430200, People's Republic of China.
| | - Zhao Ai
- School of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, Wuhan Textile University, Wuhan 430200, People's Republic of China. .,Hubei Engineering and Technology Research Centre for Functional Fibre Fabrication and Testing, Wuhan Textile University, Wuhan 430200, People's Republic of China.,Hubei Province Engineering Research Centre for Intelligent Micro-nano Medical Equipment and Key Technologies, Wuhan 30200, People's Republic of China
| | - Feng Liu
- School of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, Wuhan Textile University, Wuhan 430200, People's Republic of China. .,Hubei Engineering and Technology Research Centre for Functional Fibre Fabrication and Testing, Wuhan Textile University, Wuhan 430200, People's Republic of China.,Hubei Province Engineering Research Centre for Intelligent Micro-nano Medical Equipment and Key Technologies, Wuhan 30200, People's Republic of China
| | - Shao-Li Hong
- School of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, Wuhan Textile University, Wuhan 430200, People's Republic of China. .,Hubei Engineering and Technology Research Centre for Functional Fibre Fabrication and Testing, Wuhan Textile University, Wuhan 430200, People's Republic of China.,Hubei Province Engineering Research Centre for Intelligent Micro-nano Medical Equipment and Key Technologies, Wuhan 30200, People's Republic of China
| | - Kan Liu
- School of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, Wuhan Textile University, Wuhan 430200, People's Republic of China. .,Hubei Engineering and Technology Research Centre for Functional Fibre Fabrication and Testing, Wuhan Textile University, Wuhan 430200, People's Republic of China.,Hubei Province Engineering Research Centre for Intelligent Micro-nano Medical Equipment and Key Technologies, Wuhan 30200, People's Republic of China
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25
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Hur J, Chung AJ. Microfluidic and Nanofluidic Intracellular Delivery. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2021; 8:e2004595. [PMID: 34096197 PMCID: PMC8336510 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202004595] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2020] [Revised: 04/14/2021] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Innate cell function can be artificially engineered and reprogrammed by introducing biomolecules, such as DNAs, RNAs, plasmid DNAs, proteins, or nanomaterials, into the cytosol or nucleus. This process of delivering exogenous cargos into living cells is referred to as intracellular delivery. For instance, clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-Cas9 gene editing begins with internalizing Cas9 protein and guide RNA into cells, and chimeric antigen receptor-T (CAR-T) cells are prepared by delivering CAR genes into T lymphocytes for cancer immunotherapies. To deliver external biomolecules into cells, tools, including viral vectors, and electroporation have been traditionally used; however, they are suboptimal for achieving high levels of intracellular delivery while preserving cell viability, phenotype, and function. Notably, as emerging solutions, microfluidic and nanofluidic approaches have shown remarkable potential for addressing this open challenge. This review provides an overview of recent advances in microfluidic and nanofluidic intracellular delivery strategies and discusses new opportunities and challenges for clinical applications. Furthermore, key considerations for future efforts to develop microfluidics- and nanofluidics-enabled next-generation intracellular delivery platforms are outlined.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeongsoo Hur
- School of Biomedical EngineeringKorea UniversitySeoul02841Republic of Korea
| | - Aram J. Chung
- School of Biomedical EngineeringInterdisciplinary Program in Precision Public HealthKorea UniversitySeoul02841Republic of Korea
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26
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Microfluidic Assessment of Drug Effects on Physical Properties of Androgen Sensitive and Non-Sensitive Prostate Cancer Cells. MICROMACHINES 2021; 12:mi12050532. [PMID: 34067167 PMCID: PMC8151345 DOI: 10.3390/mi12050532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2021] [Revised: 04/19/2021] [Accepted: 04/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The identification and treatment of androgen-independent prostate cancer are both challenging and significant. In this work, high-throughput deformability cytometry was employed to assess the effects of two anti-cancer drugs, docetaxel and enzalutamide, on androgen-sensitive prostate cancer cells (LNCaP) and androgen-independent prostate cancer cells (PC-3), respectively. The quantified results show that PC-3 and LNCaP present not only different intrinsic physical properties but also different physical responses to the same anti-cancer drug. PC-3 cells possess greater stiffness and a smaller size than LNCaP cells. As the docetaxel concentration increases, PC-3 cells present an increase in stiffness and size, but LNCaP cells only present an increase in stiffness. As the enzalutamide concentration increases, PC-3 cells present no physical changes but LNCaP cells present changes in both cell size and deformation. These results demonstrated that cellular physical properties quantified by the deformability cytometry are effective indicators for identifying the androgen-independent prostate cancer cells from androgen-sensitive prostate cancer cells and evaluating drug effects on these two types of prostate cancer.
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27
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Li Z, Yang X, Zhang Q, Yang W, Zhang H, Liu L, Liang W. Non-invasive acquisition of mechanical properties of cells via passive microfluidic mechanisms: A review. BIOMICROFLUIDICS 2021; 15:031501. [PMID: 34178202 PMCID: PMC8205512 DOI: 10.1063/5.0052185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2021] [Accepted: 05/30/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The demand to understand the mechanical properties of cells from biomedical, bioengineering, and clinical diagnostic fields has given rise to a variety of research studies. In this context, how to use lab-on-a-chip devices to achieve accurate, high-throughput, and non-invasive acquisition of the mechanical properties of cells has become the focus of many studies. Accordingly, we present a comprehensive review of the development of the measurement of mechanical properties of cells using passive microfluidic mechanisms, including constriction channel-based, fluid-induced, and micropipette aspiration-based mechanisms. This review discusses how these mechanisms work to determine the mechanical properties of the cell as well as their advantages and disadvantages. A detailed discussion is also presented on a series of typical applications of these three mechanisms to measure the mechanical properties of cells. At the end of this article, the current challenges and future prospects of these mechanisms are demonstrated, which will help guide researchers who are interested to get into this area of research. Our conclusion is that these passive microfluidic mechanisms will offer more preferences for the development of lab-on-a-chip technologies and hold great potential for advancing biomedical and bioengineering research studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenghua Li
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Shenyang Jianzhu University, Shenyang 110168, China
| | - Xieliu Yang
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Shenyang Jianzhu University, Shenyang 110168, China
| | - Qi Zhang
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Shenyang Jianzhu University, Shenyang 110168, China
| | - Wenguang Yang
- School of Electromechanical and Automotive Engineering, Yantai University, Yantai 264005, China
| | - Hemin Zhang
- Department of Neurology, The People's Hospital of Liaoning Province, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Lianqing Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Robotics, Shenyang Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Wenfeng Liang
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Shenyang Jianzhu University, Shenyang 110168, China
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28
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Runel G, Lopez-Ramirez N, Chlasta J, Masse I. Biomechanical Properties of Cancer Cells. Cells 2021; 10:cells10040887. [PMID: 33924659 PMCID: PMC8069788 DOI: 10.3390/cells10040887] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2021] [Revised: 04/10/2021] [Accepted: 04/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Since the crucial role of the microenvironment has been highlighted, many studies have been focused on the role of biomechanics in cancer cell growth and the invasion of the surrounding environment. Despite the search in recent years for molecular biomarkers to try to classify and stratify cancers, much effort needs to be made to take account of morphological and nanomechanical parameters that could provide supplementary information concerning tissue complexity adaptation during cancer development. The biomechanical properties of cancer cells and their surrounding extracellular matrix have actually been proposed as promising biomarkers for cancer diagnosis and prognosis. The present review first describes the main methods used to study the mechanical properties of cancer cells. Then, we address the nanomechanical description of cultured cancer cells and the crucial role of the cytoskeleton for biomechanics linked with cell morphology. Finally, we depict how studying interaction of tumor cells with their surrounding microenvironment is crucial to integrating biomechanical properties in our understanding of tumor growth and local invasion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gaël Runel
- Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Lyon, CNRS-UMR5286, INSREM U1052, Université de Lyon, F-69008 Lyon, France; (G.R.); (N.L.-R.)
- BioMeca, F-69008 Lyon, France;
| | - Noémie Lopez-Ramirez
- Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Lyon, CNRS-UMR5286, INSREM U1052, Université de Lyon, F-69008 Lyon, France; (G.R.); (N.L.-R.)
| | | | - Ingrid Masse
- Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Lyon, CNRS-UMR5286, INSREM U1052, Université de Lyon, F-69008 Lyon, France; (G.R.); (N.L.-R.)
- Correspondence:
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29
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Liang M, Yang D, Zhou Y, Li P, Zhong J, Ai Y. Single-Cell Stretching in Viscoelastic Fluids with Electronically Triggered Imaging for Cellular Mechanical Phenotyping. Anal Chem 2021; 93:4567-4575. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.0c05009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Minhui Liang
- Pillar of Engineering Product Development, Singapore University of Technology and Design, 8 Somapah Road, 487372 Singapore
| | - Dahou Yang
- Pillar of Engineering Product Development, Singapore University of Technology and Design, 8 Somapah Road, 487372 Singapore
| | - Yinning Zhou
- Pillar of Engineering Product Development, Singapore University of Technology and Design, 8 Somapah Road, 487372 Singapore
| | - Peixian Li
- Pillar of Engineering Product Development, Singapore University of Technology and Design, 8 Somapah Road, 487372 Singapore
| | - Jianwei Zhong
- Pillar of Engineering Product Development, Singapore University of Technology and Design, 8 Somapah Road, 487372 Singapore
| | - Ye Ai
- Pillar of Engineering Product Development, Singapore University of Technology and Design, 8 Somapah Road, 487372 Singapore
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Lapizco-Encinas BH. Microscale nonlinear electrokinetics for the analysis of cellular materials in clinical applications: a review. Mikrochim Acta 2021; 188:104. [PMID: 33651196 DOI: 10.1007/s00604-021-04748-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2020] [Accepted: 02/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
This review article presents a discussion of some of the latest advancements in the field of microscale electrokinetics for the analysis of cells and subcellular materials in clinical applications. The introduction presents an overview on the use of electric fields, i.e., electrokinetics, in microfluidics devices and discusses the potential of electrokinetic-based methods for the analysis of liquid biopsies in clinical and point-of-care applications. This is followed by four comprehensive sections that present some of the newest findings on the analysis of circulating tumor cells, blood (red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets), stem cells, and subcellular particles (extracellular vesicles and mitochondria). The valuable contributions discussed here (with 131 references) were mainly published during the last 3 to 4 years, providing the reader with an overview of the state-of-the-art in the use of microscale electrokinetic methods in clinical analysis. Finally, the conclusions summarize the main advancements and discuss the future prospects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Blanca H Lapizco-Encinas
- Microscale Bioseparations Laboratory and Biomedical Engineering Department, Rochester Institute of Technology, Institute Hall (Bldg. 73), Room 3103, 160 Lomb Memorial Drive, Rochester, NY, 14623-5604, USA.
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31
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Li P, Ai Y. Label-Free Multivariate Biophysical Phenotyping-Activated Acoustic Sorting at the Single-Cell Level. Anal Chem 2021; 93:4108-4117. [PMID: 33599494 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.0c05352] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Biophysical markers of cells such as cellular electrical and mechanical properties have been proven as promising label-free biomarkers for studying, characterizing, and classifying different cell types and even their subpopulations. Further analysis or manipulation of specific cell types or subtypes requires accurate isolation of them from the original heterogeneous samples. However, there is currently a lack of cell sorting ability that could actively separate a large number of individual cells at the single-cell level based on their multivariate biophysical makers or phenotypes. In this work, we, for the first time, demonstrate label-free and high-throughput acoustic single-cell sorting activated by the characterization of multivariate biophysical phenotypes. Electrical phenotyping is implemented by single-cell electrical impedance characterization with two pairs of differential sensing electrodes, while mechanical phenotyping is performed by extracting the transit time for the single cell to pass through microconstriction from the recorded impedance signals. A real-time impedance signal processing and triggering algorithm has been developed to identify the target sample population and activate a pulsed highly focused surface acoustic wave for single-cell level sorting. We have demonstrated acoustic single-particle sorting solely based on electrical or mechanical phenotyping. Furthermore, we have applied the developed microfluidic system to sort live MCF-7 cells from a mixture of fixed and live MCF-7 population activated by a combined electrical and mechanical phenotyping at a high throughput >100 cells/s and purity ∼91.8%. This demonstrated ability to analyze and sort cells based on multivariate biophysical phenotyping provides a solution to the current challenges of cell purification that lack specific molecular biomarkers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peixian Li
- Pillar of Engineering Product Development, Singapore University of Technology and Design, Singapore 487372, Singapore
| | - Ye Ai
- Pillar of Engineering Product Development, Singapore University of Technology and Design, Singapore 487372, Singapore
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32
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Fajrial AK, Liu K, Gao Y, Gu J, Lakerveld R, Ding X. Characterization of Single-Cell Osmotic Swelling Dynamics for New Physical Biomarkers. Anal Chem 2021; 93:1317-1325. [PMID: 33253534 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.0c02289] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Characterization of cell physical biomarkers is vital to understand cell properties and applicable for disease diagnostics. Current methods used to analyze physical phenotypes involve external forces to deform the cells. Alternatively, internal tension forces via osmotic swelling can also deform the cells. However, an established assumption contends that the forces generated during hypotonic swelling concentrated on the plasma membrane are incapable of assessing the physical properties of nucleated cells. Here, we utilized an osmotic swelling approach to characterize different types of nucleated cells. Using a microfluidic device for cell trapping arrays with truncated hanging micropillars (CellHangars), we isolated single cells and evaluated the swelling dynamics during the hypotonic challenge at 1 s time resolution. We demonstrated that cells with different mechanical phenotypes showed unique swelling dynamics signature. Different types of cells can be classified with an accuracy of up to ∼99%. We also showed that swelling dynamics can detect cellular mechanical property changes due to cytoskeleton disruption. Considering its simplicity, swelling dynamics offers an invaluable label-free physical biomarker for cells with potential applications in both biological studies and clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Apresio K Fajrial
- Paul M. Rady Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, 1111 Engineering Drive, UCB 427, Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States
| | - Kun Liu
- Paul M. Rady Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, 1111 Engineering Drive, UCB 427, Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States
| | - Yu Gao
- Paul M. Rady Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, 1111 Engineering Drive, UCB 427, Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States
| | - Junhao Gu
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China
| | - Richard Lakerveld
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China
| | - Xiaoyun Ding
- Paul M. Rady Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, 1111 Engineering Drive, UCB 427, Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States.,Biomedical Engineering Program, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States
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33
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Dannhauser D, Maremonti MI, Panzetta V, Rossi D, Netti PA, Causa F. Mechanical phenotyping of breast cell lines by in-flow deformation-dependent dynamics under tuneable compressive forces. LAB ON A CHIP 2020; 20:4611-4622. [PMID: 33146642 DOI: 10.1039/d0lc00911c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Cell mechanical properties are powerful biomarkers for label-free phenotyping. To date, microfluidic approaches assay mechanical properties by measuring changes in cellular shape, applying extensional or shear flows or forcing cells to pass through constrictions. In general, such approaches use high-speed imaging or transit time measurements to evaluate cell deformation, while cell dynamics in-flow after stress imposition have not yet been considered. Here, we present a microfluidic approach to apply, over a wide range, tuneable compressive forces on suspended cells, which result in well distinct signatures of deformation-dependent dynamic motions. By properly conceiving microfluidic chip geometry and rheological fluid properties, we modulate applied single-cell forces, which result in different motion regimes (rolling, tumbling or tank-treating) depending on the investigated cell line. We decided to prove our approach by testing breast cell lines, with well-known mechanical properties. We measured a set of in-flow parameters (orientation angle, aspect ratio, cell deformation and cell diameter) as a backward analysis of cell mechanical response. By such an approach, we report that the highly invasive tumour cells (MDA-MB-231) are much more deformable (6-times higher) than healthy (MCF-10A) and low invasive ones (MCF-7). Thus, we demonstrate that a microfluidic design with tuneable rheological fluid properties and direct analysis of bright-field images can be suitable for the label-free mechanical phenotyping of various cell lines.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Dannhauser
- Interdisciplinary Research Centre on Biomaterials (CRIB), Dipartimento di Ingegneria Chimica, dei Materiali e della Produzione Industriale, Università degli Studi di Napoli "Federico II", Piazzale Tecchio 80, 80125 Naples, Italy.
| | - Maria Isabella Maremonti
- Interdisciplinary Research Centre on Biomaterials (CRIB), Dipartimento di Ingegneria Chimica, dei Materiali e della Produzione Industriale, Università degli Studi di Napoli "Federico II", Piazzale Tecchio 80, 80125 Naples, Italy.
| | - Valeria Panzetta
- Interdisciplinary Research Centre on Biomaterials (CRIB), Dipartimento di Ingegneria Chimica, dei Materiali e della Produzione Industriale, Università degli Studi di Napoli "Federico II", Piazzale Tecchio 80, 80125 Naples, Italy.
| | - Domenico Rossi
- Center for Advanced Biomaterials for Healthcare@CRIB, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Largo Barsanti e Matteucci 53, 80125 Naples, Italy
| | - Paolo Antonio Netti
- Interdisciplinary Research Centre on Biomaterials (CRIB), Dipartimento di Ingegneria Chimica, dei Materiali e della Produzione Industriale, Università degli Studi di Napoli "Federico II", Piazzale Tecchio 80, 80125 Naples, Italy. and Center for Advanced Biomaterials for Healthcare@CRIB, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Largo Barsanti e Matteucci 53, 80125 Naples, Italy
| | - Filippo Causa
- Interdisciplinary Research Centre on Biomaterials (CRIB), Dipartimento di Ingegneria Chimica, dei Materiali e della Produzione Industriale, Università degli Studi di Napoli "Federico II", Piazzale Tecchio 80, 80125 Naples, Italy.
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34
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Thurgood P, Suarez SA, Pirogova E, Jex AR, Peter K, Baratchi S, Khoshmanesh K. Tunable Harmonic Flow Patterns in Microfluidic Systems through Simple Tube Oscillation. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2020; 16:e2003612. [PMID: 33006247 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202003612] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2020] [Revised: 07/29/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Generation of tunable harmonic flows at low cost in microfluidic systems is a persistent and significant obstacle to this field, substantially limiting its potential to address major scientific questions and applications. This work introduces a simple and elegant way to overcome this obstacle. Harmonic flow patterns can be generated in microfluidic structures by simply oscillating the inlet tubes. Complex rib and vortex patterns can be dynamically modulated by changing the frequency and magnitude of tube oscillation and the viscosity of liquid. Highly complex rib patterns and synchronous vortices can be generated in serially connected microfluidic chambers. Similar dynamic patterns can be generated using whole or diluted blood samples without damaging the sample. This method offers unique opportunities for studying complex fluids and soft materials, chemical synthesis of various compounds, and mimicking harmonic flows in biological systems using compact, tunable, and low-cost devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Thurgood
- School of Engineering, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC, 3000, Australia
| | | | - Elena Pirogova
- School of Engineering, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC, 3000, Australia
| | - Aaron R Jex
- Population Health and Immunity Division, The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Australia and Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia
| | - Karlheinz Peter
- Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute, Melbourne, VIC, 3004, Australia
| | - Sara Baratchi
- School of Health and Biomedical Sciences, RMIT University, Bundoora, VIC, 3083, Australia
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35
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Inertial flow focusing: a case study in optimizing cellular trajectory through a microfluidic MEMS device for timing-critical applications. Biomed Microdevices 2020; 22:52. [PMID: 32770358 DOI: 10.1007/s10544-020-00508-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Although microfluidic micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) are well suited to investigate the effects of mechanical force on large populations of cells, their high-throughput capabilities cannot be fully leveraged without optimizing the experimental conditions of the fluid and particles flowing through them. Parameters such as flow velocity and particle size are known to affect the trajectories of particles in microfluidic systems and have been studied extensively, but the effects of temperature and buffer viscosity are not as well understood. In this paper, we explored the effects of these parameters on the timing of our own cell-impact device, the μHammer, by first tracking the velocity of polystyrene beads through the device and then visualizing the impact of these beads. Through these assays, we find that the timing of our device is sensitive to changes in the ratio of inertial forces to viscous forces that particles experience while traveling through the device. This sensitivity provides a set of parameters that can serve as a robust framework for optimizing device performance under various experimental conditions, without requiring extensive geometric redesigns. Using these tools, we were able to achieve an effective throughput over 360 beads/s with our device, demonstrating the potential of this framework to improve the consistency of microfluidic systems that rely on precise particle trajectories and timing.
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36
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Schaaf C, Stark H. Particle pairs and trains in inertial microfluidics. THE EUROPEAN PHYSICAL JOURNAL. E, SOFT MATTER 2020; 43:50. [PMID: 32743755 DOI: 10.1140/epje/i2020-11975-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2020] [Accepted: 07/09/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Staggered and linear multi-particle trains constitute characteristic structures in inertial microfluidics. Using lattice-Boltzmann simulations, we investigate their properties and stability, when flowing through microfluidic channels. We confirm the stability of cross-streamline pairs by showing how they contract or expand to their equilibrium axial distance. In contrast, same-streamline pairs quickly expand to a characteristic separation but even at long times slowly drift apart. We reproduce the distribution of particle distances with its characteristic peak as measured in experiments. Staggered multi-particle trains initialized with an axial particle spacing larger than the equilibrium distance contract non-uniformly due to collective drag reduction. Linear particle trains, similar to pairs, rapidly expand toward a value about twice the equilibrium distance of staggered trains and then very slowly drift apart non-uniformly. Again, we reproduce the statistics of particle distances and the characteristic peak observed in experiments. Finally, we thoroughly analyze the damped displacement pulse traveling as a microfluidic phonon through a staggered train and show how a defect strongly damps its propagation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Schaaf
- Technische Universität Berlin, Institut für Theoretische Physik, Straße des 17. Juni 135, 10623, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Holger Stark
- Technische Universität Berlin, Institut für Theoretische Physik, Straße des 17. Juni 135, 10623, Berlin, Germany
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37
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Liang W, Yang X, Wang J, Wang Y, Yang W, Liu L. Determination of Dielectric Properties of Cells using AC Electrokinetic-based Microfluidic Platform: A Review of Recent Advances. MICROMACHINES 2020; 11:E513. [PMID: 32438680 PMCID: PMC7281274 DOI: 10.3390/mi11050513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2020] [Revised: 05/16/2020] [Accepted: 05/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Cell dielectric properties, a type of intrinsic property of cells, can be used as electrophysiological biomarkers that offer a label-free way to characterize cell phenotypes and states, purify clinical samples, and identify target cancer cells. Here, we present a review of the determination of cell dielectric properties using alternating current (AC) electrokinetic-based microfluidic mechanisms, including electro-rotation (ROT) and dielectrophoresis (DEP). The review covers theoretically how ROT and DEP work to extract cell dielectric properties. We also dive into the details of differently structured ROT chips, followed by a discussion on the determination of cell dielectric properties and the use of these properties in bio-related applications. Additionally, the review offers a look at the future challenges facing the AC electrokinetic-based microfluidic platform in terms of acquiring cell dielectric parameters. Our conclusion is that this platform will bring biomedical and bioengineering sciences to the next level and ultimately achieve the shift from lab-oriented research to real-world applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenfeng Liang
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Shenyang Jianzhu University, Shenyang 110168, China; (X.Y.); (J.W.)
| | - Xieliu Yang
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Shenyang Jianzhu University, Shenyang 110168, China; (X.Y.); (J.W.)
| | - Junhai Wang
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Shenyang Jianzhu University, Shenyang 110168, China; (X.Y.); (J.W.)
| | - Yuechao Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Robotics, Shenyang Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110016, China;
| | - Wenguang Yang
- School of Electromechanical and Automotive Engineering, Yantai University, Yantai 264005, China;
| | - Lianqing Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Robotics, Shenyang Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110016, China;
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38
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Li F, Cima I, Vo JH, Tan MH, Ohl CD. Single Cell Hydrodynamic Stretching and Microsieve Filtration Reveal Genetic, Phenotypic and Treatment-Related Links to Cellular Deformability. MICROMACHINES 2020; 11:mi11050486. [PMID: 32397447 PMCID: PMC7281218 DOI: 10.3390/mi11050486] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2020] [Revised: 05/06/2020] [Accepted: 05/08/2020] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Deformability is shown to correlate with the invasiveness and metastasis of cancer cells. Recent studies suggest epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) might enable cancer metastasis. However, the correlation of EMT with cancer cell deformability has not been well elucidated. Cellular deformability could also help evaluate the drug response of cancer cells. Here, we combine hydrodynamic stretching and microsieve filtration to study cellular deformability in several cellular models. Hydrodynamic stretching uses extensional flow to rapidly quantify cellular deformability and size with high throughput at the single cell level. Microsieve filtration can rapidly estimate relative deformability in cellular populations. We show that colorectal cancer cell line RKO with the mesenchymal-like feature is more flexible than the epithelial-like HCT116. In another model, the breast epithelial cells MCF10A with deletion of the TP53 gene are also significantly more deformable compared to their isogenic wildtype counterpart, indicating a potential genetic link to cellular deformability. We also find that the drug docetaxel leads to an increase in the size of A549 lung cancer cells. The ability to associate mechanical properties of cancer cells with their phenotypes and genetics using single cell hydrodynamic stretching or the microsieve may help to deepen our understanding of the basic properties of cancer progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fenfang Li
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University Singapore, 11 Mandalay Road,Singapore 308232, Singapore
- Division of Physics and Applied Physics, School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Nanyang Technological University Singapore, 21 Nanyang Link, Singapore 637371, Singapore
| | - Igor Cima
- Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, 31 Biopolis Way, Singapore 138669, Singapore
- DKFZ-Division Translational Neurooncology at the WTZ, DKTK partner site, University Hospital Essen, 45147 Essen, Germany
| | - Jess Honganh Vo
- Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, 31 Biopolis Way, Singapore 138669, Singapore
- Lucence Diagnostics Pte Ltd., 211 Henderson Road, Henderson Industrial Park, Singapore 159552, Singapore
| | - Min-Han Tan
- Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, 31 Biopolis Way, Singapore 138669, Singapore
- Lucence Diagnostics Pte Ltd., 211 Henderson Road, Henderson Industrial Park, Singapore 159552, Singapore
| | - Claus Dieter Ohl
- Division of Physics and Applied Physics, School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Nanyang Technological University Singapore, 21 Nanyang Link, Singapore 637371, Singapore
- Institute for Physics, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Otto-von-Guericke University of Magdeburg, 39106 Magdeburg, Germany
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39
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Kang G, Carlson DW, Kang TH, Lee S, Haward SJ, Choi I, Shen AQ, Chung AJ. Intracellular Nanomaterial Delivery via Spiral Hydroporation. ACS NANO 2020; 14:3048-3058. [PMID: 32069037 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.9b07930] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
In recent nanobiotechnology developments, a wide variety of functional nanomaterials and engineered biomolecules have been created, and these have numerous applications in cell biology. For these nanomaterials to fulfill their promises completely, they must be able to reach their biological targets at the subcellular level and with a high level of specificity. Traditionally, either nanocarrier- or membrane disruption-based method has been used to deliver nanomaterials inside cells; however, these methods are suboptimal due to their toxicity, inconsistent delivery, and low throughput, and they are also labor intensive and time-consuming, highlighting the need for development of a next-generation, intracellular delivery system. This study reports on the development of an intracellular nanomaterial delivery platform, based on unexpected cell-deformation phenomena via spiral vortex and vortex breakdown exerted in the cross- and T-junctions at moderate Reynolds numbers. These vortex-induced cell deformation and sequential restoration processes open cell membranes transiently, allowing effective and robust intracellular delivery of nanomaterials in a single step without the aid of carriers or external apparatus. By using the platform described here (termed spiral hydroporator), we demonstrate the delivery of different nanomaterials, including gold nanoparticles (200 nm diameter), functional mesoporous silica nanoparticles (150 nm diameter), dextran (hydrodynamic diameters between 2-55 nm), and mRNA, into different cell types. We demonstrate here that the system is highly efficient (up to 96.5%) with high throughput (up to 1 × 106 cells/min) and rapid delivery (∼1 min) while maintaining high levels of cell viability (up to 94%).
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Affiliation(s)
- GeoumYoung Kang
- Department of Bio-convergence Engineering, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - Daniel W Carlson
- Micro/Bio/Nanofluidics Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University (OIST), Okinawa 904-0495, Japan
| | - Tae Ho Kang
- Department of Life Science, University of Seoul, Seoul 02504, Republic of Korea
| | - Seungki Lee
- Department of Life Science, University of Seoul, Seoul 02504, Republic of Korea
| | - Simon J Haward
- Micro/Bio/Nanofluidics Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University (OIST), Okinawa 904-0495, Japan
| | - Inhee Choi
- Department of Life Science, University of Seoul, Seoul 02504, Republic of Korea
| | - Amy Q Shen
- Micro/Bio/Nanofluidics Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University (OIST), Okinawa 904-0495, Japan
| | - Aram J Chung
- Department of Bio-convergence Engineering, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea
- Department of Bioengineering, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea
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40
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Choi G, Nouri R, Zarzar L, Guan W. Microfluidic deformability-activated sorting of single particles. MICROSYSTEMS & NANOENGINEERING 2020; 6:11. [PMID: 34567626 PMCID: PMC8433438 DOI: 10.1038/s41378-019-0107-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2019] [Revised: 08/21/2019] [Accepted: 09/16/2019] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Mechanical properties have emerged as a significant label-free marker for characterizing deformable particles such as cells. Here, we demonstrated the first single-particle-resolved, cytometry-like deformability-activated sorting in the continuous flow on a microfluidic chip. Compared with existing deformability-based sorting techniques, the microfluidic device presented in this work measures the deformability and immediately sorts the particles one-by-one in real time. It integrates the transit-time-based deformability measurement and active hydrodynamic sorting onto a single chip. We identified the critical factors that affect the sorting dynamics by modeling and experimental approaches. We found that the device throughput is determined by the summation of the sensing, buffering, and sorting time. A total time of ~100 ms is used for analyzing and sorting a single particle, leading to a throughput of 600 particles/min. We synthesized poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA) hydrogel beads as the deformability model for device validation and performance evaluation. A deformability-activated sorting purity of 88% and an average efficiency of 73% were achieved. We anticipate that the ability to actively measure and sort individual particles one-by-one in a continuous flow would find applications in cell-mechanotyping studies such as correlational studies of the cell mechanical phenotype and molecular mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gihoon Choi
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802 USA
| | - Reza Nouri
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802 USA
| | - Lauren Zarzar
- Materials Research Institute, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802 USA
- Department of Chemistry, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802 USA
| | - Weihua Guan
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802 USA
- Materials Research Institute, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802 USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802 USA
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41
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Liu A, Yu T, Young K, Stone N, Hanasoge S, Kirby TJ, Varadarajan V, Colonna N, Liu J, Raj A, Lammerding J, Alexeev A, Sulchek T. Cell Mechanical and Physiological Behavior in the Regime of Rapid Mechanical Compressions that Lead to Cell Volume Change. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2020; 16:e1903857. [PMID: 31782912 PMCID: PMC7012384 DOI: 10.1002/smll.201903857] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2019] [Revised: 11/05/2019] [Indexed: 04/14/2023]
Abstract
Cells respond to mechanical forces by deforming in accordance with viscoelastic solid behavior. Studies of microscale cell deformation observed by high speed video microscopy have elucidated a new cell behavior in which sufficiently rapid mechanical compression of cells can lead to transient cell volume loss and then recovery. This work has discovered that the resulting volume exchange between the cell interior and the surrounding fluid can be utilized for efficient, convective delivery of large macromolecules (2000 kDa) to the cell interior. However, many fundamental questions remain about this cell behavior, including the range of deformation time scales that result in cell volume loss and the physiological effects experienced by the cell. In this study, a relationship is established between cell viscoelastic properties and the inertial forces imposed on the cell that serves as a predictor of cell volume loss across human cell types. It is determined that cells maintain nuclear envelope integrity and demonstrate low protein loss after the volume exchange process. These results define a highly controlled cell volume exchange mechanism for intracellular delivery of large macromolecules that maintains cell viability and function for invaluable downstream research and clinical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Liu
- Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, 313 Ferst Drive, Atlanta, GA, 30332-0535, USA
| | - Tong Yu
- Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, 313 Ferst Drive, Atlanta, GA, 30332-0535, USA
| | - Katherine Young
- Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, 313 Ferst Drive, Atlanta, GA, 30332-0535, USA
| | - Nicholas Stone
- George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, 801 Ferst Drive, Atlanta, GA, 30332-0405, USA
| | - Srinivas Hanasoge
- George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, 801 Ferst Drive, Atlanta, GA, 30332-0405, USA
| | - Tyler J. Kirby
- Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
- Weill Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
| | - Vikram Varadarajan
- Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, 313 Ferst Drive, Atlanta, GA, 30332-0535, USA
| | - Nicholas Colonna
- Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, 313 Ferst Drive, Atlanta, GA, 30332-0535, USA
| | - Janet Liu
- Aragon High School, 900 Alameda de las Pulgas, San Mateo, CA, 94402, USA
| | - Abhishek Raj
- George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, 801 Ferst Drive, Atlanta, GA, 30332-0405, USA
| | - Jan Lammerding
- Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
- Weill Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
| | - Alexander Alexeev
- George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, 801 Ferst Drive, Atlanta, GA, 30332-0405, USA
| | - Todd Sulchek
- George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, 801 Ferst Drive, Atlanta, GA, 30332-0405, USA
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42
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Surcel A, Schiffhauer ES, Thomas DG, Zhu Q, DiNapoli KT, Herbig M, Otto O, West-Foyle H, Jacobi A, Kräter M, Plak K, Guck J, Jaffee EM, Iglesias PA, Anders RA, Robinson DN. Targeting Mechanoresponsive Proteins in Pancreatic Cancer: 4-Hydroxyacetophenone Blocks Dissemination and Invasion by Activating MYH14. Cancer Res 2019; 79:4665-4678. [PMID: 31358530 PMCID: PMC6744980 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-18-3131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2018] [Revised: 06/11/2019] [Accepted: 07/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Metastasis is complex, involving multiple genetic, epigenetic, biochemical, and physical changes in the cancer cell and its microenvironment. Cells with metastatic potential are often characterized by altered cellular contractility and deformability, lending them the flexibility to disseminate and navigate through different microenvironments. We demonstrate that mechanoresponsiveness is a hallmark of pancreatic cancer cells. Key mechanoresponsive proteins, those that accumulate in response to mechanical stress, specifically nonmuscle myosin IIA (MYH9) and IIC (MYH14), α-actinin 4, and filamin B, were highly expressed in pancreatic cancer as compared with healthy ductal epithelia. Their less responsive sister paralogs-myosin IIB (MYH10), α-actinin 1, and filamin A-had lower expression differential or disappeared with cancer progression. We demonstrate that proteins whose cellular contributions are often overlooked because of their low abundance can have profound impact on cell architecture, behavior, and mechanics. Here, the low abundant protein MYH14 promoted metastatic behavior and could be exploited with 4-hydroxyacetophenone (4-HAP), which increased MYH14 assembly, stiffening cells. As a result, 4-HAP decreased dissemination, induced cortical actin belts in spheroids, and slowed retrograde actin flow. 4-HAP also reduced liver metastases in human pancreatic cancer-bearing nude mice. Thus, increasing MYH14 assembly overwhelms the ability of cells to polarize and invade, suggesting targeting the mechanoresponsive proteins of the actin cytoskeleton as a new strategy to improve the survival of patients with pancreatic cancer. SIGNIFICANCE: This study demonstrates that mechanoresponsive proteins become upregulated with pancreatic cancer progression and that this system of proteins can be pharmacologically targeted to inhibit the metastatic potential of pancreatic cancer cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Surcel
- Department of Cell Biology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland.
| | - Eric S Schiffhauer
- Department of Cell Biology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Dustin G Thomas
- Department of Cell Biology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Qingfeng Zhu
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Kathleen T DiNapoli
- Department of Cell Biology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Johns Hopkins University Whiting School of Engineering, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Maik Herbig
- Biotechnology Center, Center for Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Oliver Otto
- Biotechnology Center, Center for Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Hoku West-Foyle
- Department of Cell Biology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Angela Jacobi
- Biotechnology Center, Center for Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Martin Kräter
- Biotechnology Center, Center for Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Katarzyna Plak
- Biotechnology Center, Center for Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Jochen Guck
- Biotechnology Center, Center for Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Elizabeth M Jaffee
- Department of Oncology, Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins, The Skip Viragh Pancreatic Cancer Center, and the Bloomberg Kimmel Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Pablo A Iglesias
- Department of Cell Biology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Johns Hopkins University Whiting School of Engineering, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Robert A Anders
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Douglas N Robinson
- Department of Cell Biology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland.
- Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
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43
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Liu N, Du P, Xiao X, Liu Y, Peng Y, Yang C, Yue T. Microfluidic-Based Mechanical Phenotyping of Androgen-Sensitive and Non-sensitive Prostate Cancer Cells Lines. MICROMACHINES 2019; 10:E602. [PMID: 31547397 PMCID: PMC6780375 DOI: 10.3390/mi10090602] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2019] [Revised: 09/07/2019] [Accepted: 09/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Cell mechanical properties have been identified to characterize cells pathologic states. Here, we report our work on high-throughput mechanical phenotyping of androgen-sensitive and non-sensitive human prostate cancer cell lines based on a morphological rheological microfluidic method. The theory for extracting cells' elastic modulus from their deformation and area, and the used experimental parameters were analyzed. The mechanical properties of three types of prostate cancer cells lines with different sensitivity to androgen including LNCaP, DU145, and PC3 were quantified. The result shows that LNCaP cell was the softest, DU145 was the second softest, and PC3 was the stiffest. Furthermore, atomic force microscopy (AFM) was used to verify the effectiveness of this high-throughput morphological rheological method.
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Affiliation(s)
- Na Liu
- School of Mechatronics Engineering and Automation, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China.
| | - Panpan Du
- School of Mechatronics Engineering and Automation, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China.
| | - Xiaoxiao Xiao
- School of Mechatronics Engineering and Automation, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China.
| | - Yuanyuan Liu
- School of Mechatronics Engineering and Automation, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China.
| | - Yan Peng
- School of Mechatronics Engineering and Automation, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China.
| | - Chen Yang
- Fudan Institute of Urology, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China.
| | - Tao Yue
- School of Mechatronics Engineering and Automation, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China.
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44
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Kizer ME, Deng Y, Kang G, Mikael PE, Wang X, Chung AJ. Hydroporator: a hydrodynamic cell membrane perforator for high-throughput vector-free nanomaterial intracellular delivery and DNA origami biostability evaluation. LAB ON A CHIP 2019; 19:1747-1754. [PMID: 30964485 DOI: 10.1039/c9lc00041k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
The successful intracellular delivery of exogenous macromolecules is crucial for a variety of applications ranging from basic biology to the clinic. However, traditional intracellular delivery methods such as those relying on viral/non-viral nanocarriers or physical membrane disruptions suffer from low throughput, toxicity, and inconsistent delivery performance and are time-consuming and/or labor-intensive. In this study, we developed a single-step hydrodynamic cell deformation-induced intracellular delivery platform named "hydroporator" without the aid of vectors or a complicated/costly external apparatus. By utilizing only fluid inertia, the platform focuses, guides, and stretches cells robustly without clogging. This rapid hydrodynamic cell deformation leads to both convective and diffusive delivery of external (macro)molecules into the cell through transient plasma membrane discontinuities. Using this hydroporation approach, highly efficient (∼90%), high-throughput (>1 600 000 cells per min), and rapid delivery (∼1 min) of different (macro)molecules into a wide range of cell types was achieved while maintaining high cell viability. Taking advantage of the ability of this platform to rapidly deliver large molecules, we also systematically investigated the temporal biostability of vanilla DNA origami nanostructures in living cells for the first time. Experiments using two DNA origami (tube- and donut-shaped) nanostructures revealed that these nanostructures can maintain their structural integrity in living cells for approximately 1 h after delivery, providing new opportunities for the rapid characterization of intracellular DNA biostability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan E Kizer
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Centre for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies (CBIS), Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), Troy, NY 12180, USA.
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45
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Armistead FJ, Gala De Pablo J, Gadêlha H, Peyman SA, Evans SD. Cells Under Stress: An Inertial-Shear Microfluidic Determination of Cell Behavior. Biophys J 2019; 116:1127-1135. [PMID: 30799072 PMCID: PMC6428867 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2019.01.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2018] [Revised: 01/24/2019] [Accepted: 01/30/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The deformability of a cell is the direct result of a complex interplay between the different constituent elements at the subcellular level, coupling a wide range of mechanical responses at different length scales. Changes to the structure of these components can also alter cell phenotype, which points to the critical importance of cell mechanoresponse for diagnostic applications. The response to mechanical stress depends strongly on the forces experienced by the cell. Here, we use cell deformability in both shear-dominant and inertia-dominant microfluidic flow regimes to probe different aspects of the cell structure. In the inertial regime, we follow cellular response from (visco-)elastic through plastic deformation to cell structural failure and show a significant drop in cell viability for shear stresses >11.8 kN/m2. Comparatively, a shear-dominant regime requires lower applied stresses to achieve higher cell strains. From this regime, deformation traces as a function of time contain a rich source of information including maximal strain, elastic modulus, and cell relaxation times and thus provide a number of markers for distinguishing cell types and potential disease progression. These results emphasize the benefit of multiple parameter determination for improving detection and will ultimately lead to improved accuracy for diagnosis. We present results for leukemia cells (HL60) as a model circulatory cell as well as for a colorectal cancer cell line, SW480, derived from primary adenocarcinoma (Dukes stage B). SW480 were also treated with the actin-disrupting drug latrunculin A to test the sensitivity of flow regimes to the cytoskeleton. We show that the shear regime is more sensitive to cytoskeletal changes and that large strains in the inertial regime cannot resolve changes to the actin cytoskeleton.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fern J Armistead
- Molecular and Nanoscale Physics Group, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
| | - Julia Gala De Pablo
- Molecular and Nanoscale Physics Group, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
| | - Hermes Gadêlha
- Department of Mathematics, University of York, York, United Kingdom
| | - Sally A Peyman
- Molecular and Nanoscale Physics Group, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
| | - Stephen D Evans
- Molecular and Nanoscale Physics Group, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom.
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46
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Chung AJ. A Minireview on Inertial Microfluidics Fundamentals: Inertial Particle Focusing and Secondary Flow. BIOCHIP JOURNAL 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s13206-019-3110-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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47
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Lee J, Mena SE, Burns MA. Micro-Particle Operations Using Asymmetric Traps. Sci Rep 2019; 9:1278. [PMID: 30718531 PMCID: PMC6362267 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-37454-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2018] [Accepted: 11/28/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Micro-particle operations in many lab-on-a-chip devices require active-type techniques that are accompanied by complex fabrication and operation. The present study describes an alternative method using a passive microfluidic scheme that allows for simpler operation and, therefore, potentially less expensive devices. We present three practical micro-particle operations using our previously developed passive mechanical trap, the asymmetric trap, in a non-acoustic oscillatory flow field. First, we demonstrate size-based segregation of both binary and ternary micro-particle mixtures using size-dependent trap-particle interactions to induce different transport speeds for each particle type. The degree of segregation, yield, and purity of the binary segregations are 0.97 ± 0.02, 0.96 ± 0.06, and 0.95 ± 0.05, respectively. Next, we perform a solution exchange by displacing particles from one solution into another in a trap array. Lastly, we focus and split groups of micro-particles by exploiting the transport polarity of asymmetric traps. These operations can be implemented in any closed fluidic circuit containing asymmetric traps using non-acoustic oscillatory flow, and they open new opportunities to flexibly control micro-particles in integrated lab-on-a-chip platforms with minimal external equipment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaesung Lee
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, 48109, USA
| | - Sarah E Mena
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, 48109, USA
| | - Mark A Burns
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, 48109, USA. .,Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, 48109, USA.
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48
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Campbell JM, Balhoff JB, Landwehr GM, Rahman SM, Vaithiyanathan M, Melvin AT. Microfluidic and Paper-Based Devices for Disease Detection and Diagnostic Research. Int J Mol Sci 2018; 19:E2731. [PMID: 30213089 PMCID: PMC6164778 DOI: 10.3390/ijms19092731] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2018] [Revised: 09/05/2018] [Accepted: 09/06/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent developments in microfluidic devices, nanoparticle chemistry, fluorescent microscopy, and biochemical techniques such as genetic identification and antibody capture have provided easier and more sensitive platforms for detecting and diagnosing diseases as well as providing new fundamental insight into disease progression. These advancements have led to the development of new technology and assays capable of easy and early detection of pathogenicity as well as the enhancement of the drug discovery and development pipeline. While some studies have focused on treatment, many of these technologies have found initial success in laboratories as a precursor for clinical applications. This review highlights the current and future progress of microfluidic techniques geared toward the timely and inexpensive diagnosis of disease including technologies aimed at high-throughput single cell analysis for drug development. It also summarizes novel microfluidic approaches to characterize fundamental cellular behavior and heterogeneity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua M Campbell
- Cain Department of Chemical Engineering, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA.
| | - Joseph B Balhoff
- Cain Department of Chemical Engineering, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA.
| | - Grant M Landwehr
- Cain Department of Chemical Engineering, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA.
| | - Sharif M Rahman
- Cain Department of Chemical Engineering, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA.
| | | | - Adam T Melvin
- Cain Department of Chemical Engineering, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA.
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49
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Liu A, Islam M, Stone N, Varadarajan V, Jeong J, Bowie S, Qiu P, Waller EK, Alexeev A, Sulchek T. Microfluidic generation of transient cell volume exchange for convectively driven intracellular delivery of large macromolecules. MATERIALS TODAY (KIDLINGTON, ENGLAND) 2018; 21:703-712. [PMID: 30288138 PMCID: PMC6166476 DOI: 10.1016/j.mattod.2018.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/14/2023]
Abstract
Efficient intracellular delivery of target macromolecules remains a major obstacle in cell engineering and other biomedical applications. We discovered a unique cell biophysical phenomenon of transient cell volume exchange by using microfluidics to rapidly and repeatedly compress cells. This behavior consists of brief, mechanically induced cell volume loss followed by rapid volume recovery. We harness this behavior for high-throughput, convective intracellular delivery of large polysaccharides (2000 kDa), particles (100 nm), and plasmids while maintaining high cell viability. Successful proof of concept experiments in transfection and intracellular labeling demonstrated potential to overcome the most prohibitive challenges in intracellular delivery for cell engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Liu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Muhymin Islam
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Nicholas Stone
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Vikram Varadarajan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Jenny Jeong
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Sam Bowie
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Peng Qiu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Edmund K Waller
- Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Alexander Alexeev
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Todd Sulchek
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
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50
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Deng Y, Kizer M, Rada M, Sage J, Wang X, Cheon DJ, Chung AJ. Intracellular Delivery of Nanomaterials via an Inertial Microfluidic Cell Hydroporator. NANO LETTERS 2018; 18:2705-2710. [PMID: 29569926 DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.8b00704] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
The introduction of nanomaterials into cells is an indispensable process for studies ranging from basic biology to clinical applications. To deliver foreign nanomaterials into living cells, traditionally endocytosis, viral and lipid nanocarriers or electroporation are mainly employed; however, they critically suffer from toxicity, inconsistent delivery, and low throughput and are time-consuming and labor-intensive processes. Here, we present a novel inertial microfluidic cell hydroporator capable of delivering a wide range of nanomaterials to various cell types in a single-step without the aid of carriers or external apparatus. The platform inertially focuses cells into the channel center and guides cells to collide at a T-junction. Controlled compression and shear forces generate transient membrane discontinuities that facilitate passive diffusion of external nanomaterials into the cell cytoplasm while maintaining high cell viability. This hydroporation method shows superior delivery efficiency, is high-throughput, and has high controllability; moreover, its extremely simple and low-cost operation provides a powerful and practical strategy in the applications of cellular imaging, biomanufacturing, cell-based therapies, regenerative medicine, and disease diagnosis.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Miran Rada
- Department of Regenerative and Cancer Cell Biology , Albany Medical College (AMC) , Albany , New York 12208 , United States
| | - Jessica Sage
- Department of Regenerative and Cancer Cell Biology , Albany Medical College (AMC) , Albany , New York 12208 , United States
| | | | - Dong-Joo Cheon
- Department of Regenerative and Cancer Cell Biology , Albany Medical College (AMC) , Albany , New York 12208 , United States
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