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Pan J, Chiang CL, Wang X, Bertani P, Ma Y, Cheng J, Talesara V, Lee LJ, Lu W. Cell membrane damage and cargo delivery in nano-electroporation. NANOSCALE 2023; 15:4080-4089. [PMID: 36744418 DOI: 10.1039/d2nr05575a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Nanochannel electroporation (NEP) is a new technology for cell transfection, which provides superior gene delivery and cell viability to conventional bulk electroporation (BEP). In NEP, the cells laid on a porous substrate are subjected to an asymmetric electric field which induces asymmetric membrane poration. The cell membrane near the channel outlet ('transfection membrane') is porated intensely, allowing direct delivery of genetic materials, while the rest of the cell membrane ('non-transfection membrane') remains much less perturbed for low cellular damage. In this work, the transfection window of NEP for the delivery of different sized molecules is systematically investigated. The results show that small molecules (∼0.6 kDa) can be delivered into cells at a relatively lower voltage without significantly impacting the non-transfection membrane. To deliver larger molecules (∼6 kDa), a higher working voltage is required at the cost of cell viability due to more severe damage of the non-transfection membrane. Through numerical analysis of both transient transmembrane potential (t-TMP) and dynamic transmembrane potential (d-TMP), here we show that the membrane damage on both transfection and non-transfection sides of the cell membrane can be predicted. The agreement between experimental results and numerical analysis provides a comprehensive understanding of cell membrane damage and cargo delivery in NEP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junjie Pan
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA.
| | - Chi-Ling Chiang
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA.
| | - Xinyu Wang
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA.
| | - Paul Bertani
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA.
| | - Yifan Ma
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA
| | - Junao Cheng
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA.
| | - Vishank Talesara
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA.
| | - Ly James Lee
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA.
| | - Wu Lu
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA.
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2
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Advances of Electroporation-Related Therapies and the Synergy with Immunotherapy in Cancer Treatment. Vaccines (Basel) 2022; 10:vaccines10111942. [PMID: 36423037 PMCID: PMC9692484 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines10111942] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2022] [Revised: 11/12/2022] [Accepted: 11/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Electroporation is the process of instantaneously increasing the permeability of a cell membrane under a pulsed electric field. Depending on the parameters of the electric pulses and the target cell electrophysiological characteristics, electroporation can be either reversible or irreversible. Reversible electroporation facilitates the delivery of functional genetic materials or drugs to target cells, inducing cell death by apoptosis, mitotic catastrophe, or pseudoapoptosis; irreversible electroporation is an ablative technology which directly ablates a large amount of tissue without causing harmful thermal effects; electrotherapy using an electric field can induce cell apoptosis without any aggressive invasion. Reversible and irreversible electroporation can also activate systemic antitumor immune response and enhance the efficacy of immunotherapy. In this review, we discuss recent progress related to electroporation, and summarize its latest applications. Further, we discuss the synergistic effects of electroporation-related therapies and immunotherapy. We also propose perspectives for further investigating electroporation and immunotherapy in cancer treatment.
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Bae SJ, Im DJ. Safe and efficient RNA and DNA introduction into cells using digital electroporation system. Bioelectrochemistry 2022; 148:108268. [PMID: 36155386 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioelechem.2022.108268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2022] [Revised: 08/20/2022] [Accepted: 09/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
We systematically compared the delivery and expression efficiencies according to cell types (plant and animal cells) and genetic materials (RNA and DNA) to deliver RNA using a digital electroporation system. Despite the significantly lower RNA delivery in Chlamydomoans reinhartii than DNA delivery due to RNA secondary structure and cell wall, the expression/delivery ratio of RNA was significantly higher than that of DNA (up to 90%), confirming the generally known fact that RNA is more favorable for expression than DNA. On the other hand, in K562 cells, the difference in RNA and DNA delivery efficiency was negligible. Therefore, structural differences between DNA and RNA affect delivery efficiency differently depending on the cell type. RNA delivery efficiency of K562 cells was high, but expression efficiency was much lower than that of microalgae. According to the proposed strategy, compatibility between K562 cells and the nucleic acids used in this study is presumed to be one of the reasons for this low expression efficiency. Gene regulation by delivering small interfering RNA (siRNA) was demonstrated in K562 cells, confirming the feasibility of the digital electroporation system for RNA interference (RNAi) research as a safe and efficient delivery system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seo Jun Bae
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Pukyong National University, (48513) 45, Yongso-ro, Nam-Gu, Busan, South Korea
| | - Do Jin Im
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Pukyong National University, (48513) 45, Yongso-ro, Nam-Gu, Busan, South Korea.
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Abstract
Electroporation (EP) is a commonly used strategy to increase cell permeability for intracellular cargo delivery or irreversible cell membrane disruption using electric fields. In recent years, EP performance has been improved by shrinking electrodes and device structures to the microscale. Integration with microfluidics has led to the design of devices performing static EP, where cells are fixed in a defined region, or continuous EP, where cells constantly pass through the device. Each device type performs superior to conventional, macroscale EP devices while providing additional advantages in precision manipulation (static EP) and increased throughput (continuous EP). Microscale EP is gentle on cells and has enabled more sensitive assaying of cells with novel applications. In this Review, we present the physical principles of microscale EP devices and examine design trends in recent years. In addition, we discuss the use of reversible and irreversible EP in the development of therapeutics and analysis of intracellular contents, among other noteworthy applications. This Review aims to inform and encourage scientists and engineers to expand the use of efficient and versatile microscale EP technologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sung-Eun Choi
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 North Charles Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21218, United States
| | - Harrison Khoo
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 North Charles Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21218, United States
| | - Soojung Claire Hur
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 North Charles Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21218, United States
- Institute for NanoBioTechnology, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 North Charles Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21218, United States
- Department of Oncology, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 North Charles Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21218, United States
- Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University, 401 North Broadway, Baltimore, Maryland 21231, United States
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5
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In Situ Electroporation on PERFECT Filter for High-Efficiency and High-Viability Tumor Cell Labeling. MICROMACHINES 2022; 13:mi13050672. [PMID: 35630139 PMCID: PMC9146625 DOI: 10.3390/mi13050672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2022] [Revised: 04/20/2022] [Accepted: 04/20/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Labeling-assisted visualization is a powerful strategy to track circulating tumor cells (CTCs) for mechanism study (e.g., tumor metastasis). Due to the rarity of CTCs in the whole blood, efficient simultaneous enrichment and labeling of CTCs are needed. Hereby, novel in situ electroporation on a previously-developed micropore-arrayed filter (PERFECT filter) is proposed. Benefiting from the ultra-small-thickness and high-porosity of the filter plus high precision pore diameter, target rare tumor cells were enriched with less damage and uniform size distribution, contributing to enhanced molecular delivery efficiency and cell viability in the downstream electroporation. Various biomolecules (e.g., small molecule dyes, plasmids, and functional proteins) were used to verify this in situ electroporation system. High labeling efficiency (74.08 ± 2.94%) and high viability (81.15 ± 3.04%, verified via live/dead staining) were achieved by optimizing the parameters of electric field strength and pulse number, ensuring the labeled tumor cells can be used for further culture and down-stream analysis. In addition, high specificity (99.03 ± 1.67%) probing of tumor cells was further achieved by introducing fluorescent dye-conjugated antibodies into target cells. The whole procedure, including cell separation and electroporation, can be finished quickly (<10 min). The proposed in situ electroporation on the PERFECT filter system has great potential to track CTCs for tumor metastasis studies.
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Li Z, Xuan Y, Ghatak S, Guda PR, Roy S, Sen CK. Modeling the gene delivery process of the needle array-based tissue nanotransfection. NANO RESEARCH 2022; 15:3409-3421. [PMID: 36275042 PMCID: PMC9581438 DOI: 10.1007/s12274-021-3947-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2021] [Revised: 10/17/2021] [Accepted: 10/24/2021] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
Hollow needle array-based tissue nanotransfection (TNT) presents an in vivo transfection approach that directly translocate exogeneous genes to target tissues by using electric pulses. In this work, the gene delivery process of TNT was simulated and experimentally validated. We adopted the asymptotic method and cell-array-based model to investigate the electroporation behaviors of cells within the skin structure. The distribution of nonuniform electric field across the skin results in various electroporation behavior for each cell. Cells underneath the hollow microchannels of the needle exhibited the highest total pore numbers compared to others due to the stronger localized electric field. The percentage of electroporated cells within the skin structure, with pore radius over 10 nm, increases from 25% to 82% as the applied voltage increases from 100 to 150 V/mm. Furthermore, the gene delivery behavior across the skin tissue was investigated through the multilayer-stack-based model. The delivery distance increased nonlinearly as the applied voltage and pulse number increased, which mainly depends on the diffusion characteristics and electric conductivity of each layer. It was also found that the skin is required to be exfoliated prior to the TNT procedure to enhance the delivery depth. This work provides the foundation for transition from the study of murine skin to translation use in large animals and human settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhigang Li
- Indiana Center for Regenerative Medicine and Engineering, Indiana University Health Comprehensive Wound Center, Department of Surgery, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
- Birck Nanotechnology Center and Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
| | - Yi Xuan
- Indiana Center for Regenerative Medicine and Engineering, Indiana University Health Comprehensive Wound Center, Department of Surgery, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
- Birck Nanotechnology Center and Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
| | - Subhadip Ghatak
- Indiana Center for Regenerative Medicine and Engineering, Indiana University Health Comprehensive Wound Center, Department of Surgery, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| | - Poornachander R. Guda
- Indiana Center for Regenerative Medicine and Engineering, Indiana University Health Comprehensive Wound Center, Department of Surgery, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| | - Sashwati Roy
- Indiana Center for Regenerative Medicine and Engineering, Indiana University Health Comprehensive Wound Center, Department of Surgery, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| | - Chandan K. Sen
- Indiana Center for Regenerative Medicine and Engineering, Indiana University Health Comprehensive Wound Center, Department of Surgery, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
- Birck Nanotechnology Center and Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
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Brooks JR, Mungloo I, Mirfendereski S, Quint JP, Paul D, Jaberi A, Park JS, Yang R. An equivalent circuit model for localized electroporation on porous substrates. Biosens Bioelectron 2022; 199:113862. [PMID: 34923307 PMCID: PMC8741749 DOI: 10.1016/j.bios.2021.113862] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2021] [Revised: 11/29/2021] [Accepted: 12/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
In vitro intracellular delivery is a fundamental challenge with no widely adopted methods capable of both delivering to millions of cells and controlling that delivery to a high degree of accuracy. One promising method is porous substrate electroporation (PSEP), where cells are cultured on porous substrates and electric fields are used to permeabilize discrete portions of the cell membrane for delivery. A major obstacle to the widespread use of PSEP is a poor understanding of the various impedances that constitute the system, including the impedances of the porous substrate and the cell monolayer, and how these impedances are influenced by experimental parameters. In response, we used impedance measurements to develop an equivalent circuit model that closely mimics the behavior of each of the main components of the PSEP system. This circuit model reveals for the first time the distribution of voltage across the electrode-electrolyte interface impedances, the channels of the porous substrate, the cell monolayer, and the transmembrane potential during PSEP. We applied sample waveforms through our model to understand how waveforms can be improved for future studies. Our model was validated from intracellular delivery of protein using PSEP.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Ruiguo Yang
- Nebraska Center for Integrated Biomolecular Communication, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, 68588, USA.
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Lu YM, Duan YZ, Liu XQ, Chen QD, Sun HB. High-quality rapid laser drilling of transparent hard materials. OPTICS LETTERS 2022; 47:921-924. [PMID: 35167559 DOI: 10.1364/ol.452530] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2021] [Accepted: 01/12/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
In this study, a hybrid method for high-quality rapid drilling of transparent hard materials which combines femtosecond laser (fs-laser) Bessel beam modifying materials and selective wet etching is presented. Using this method, micro-holes with no taper of different sizes (from 10 to 35 μm) and shapes (square, triangle, circular, and pentagram) are fabricated. Bessel beams of different lengths can be generated flexibly by loading different computer-generated holograms (CGHs) into the spatial light modulator (SLM) and the maximum length of light interacting with materials can reach 320 μm, leading to a reduction of the laser scanning time by two orders of magnitude. Moreover, a set of three-dimensional multi-layer submicron through-holes in crystal materials is also realized, with an aspect ratio of more than 1000 for each hole. These results indicate that this method has broad application potential in chip packaging, aviation manufacturing, single particle catalysis, and other fields.
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Xuan Y, Ghatak S, Clark A, Li Z, Khanna S, Pak D, Agarwal M, Roy S, Duda P, Sen CK. Fabrication and use of silicon hollow-needle arrays to achieve tissue nanotransfection in mouse tissue in vivo. Nat Protoc 2021; 16:5707-5738. [PMID: 34837085 PMCID: PMC9104164 DOI: 10.1038/s41596-021-00631-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2020] [Accepted: 09/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Tissue nanotransfection (TNT) is an electromotive gene transfer technology that was developed to achieve tissue reprogramming in vivo. This protocol describes how to fabricate the required hardware, commonly referred to as a TNT chip, and use it for in vivo TNT. Silicon hollow-needle arrays for TNT applications are fabricated in a standardized and reproducible way. In <1 s, these silicon hollow-needle arrays can be used to deliver plasmids to a predetermined specific depth in murine skin in response to pulsed nanoporation. Tissue nanotransfection eliminates the need to use viral vectors, minimizing the risk of genomic integration or cell transformation. The TNT chip fabrication process typically takes 5-6 d, and in vivo TNT takes 30 min. This protocol does not require specific expertise beyond a clean room equipped for basic nanofabrication processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Xuan
- Indiana Center for Regenerative Medicine and Engineering, Indiana University Health Comprehensive Wound Center, Department of Surgery, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA.
- Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA.
| | - Subhadip Ghatak
- Indiana Center for Regenerative Medicine and Engineering, Indiana University Health Comprehensive Wound Center, Department of Surgery, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Andrew Clark
- Indiana Center for Regenerative Medicine and Engineering, Indiana University Health Comprehensive Wound Center, Department of Surgery, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Zhigang Li
- Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - Savita Khanna
- Indiana Center for Regenerative Medicine and Engineering, Indiana University Health Comprehensive Wound Center, Department of Surgery, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Dongmin Pak
- Electrical and Computer Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - Mangilal Agarwal
- Integrated Nanosystems Development Institute, IUPUI, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Sashwati Roy
- Indiana Center for Regenerative Medicine and Engineering, Indiana University Health Comprehensive Wound Center, Department of Surgery, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
- Richard L. Roudebush Veterans Administration Medical Center, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Peter Duda
- Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Chandan K Sen
- Indiana Center for Regenerative Medicine and Engineering, Indiana University Health Comprehensive Wound Center, Department of Surgery, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA.
- Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA.
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Liu X, Chang AY, Ma Y, Hua L, Yang Z, Wang S. Robust three-dimensional nanotube-in-micropillar array electrodes to facilitate size independent electroporation in blood cell therapy. LAB ON A CHIP 2021; 21:4196-4207. [PMID: 34546271 DOI: 10.1039/d1lc00690h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Blood is an attractive carrier for plasmid and RNA-based medicine in cell therapy. Electroporation serves as a favorable delivery tool for simple operation, quick internalization, minimum cell culture involvement, and low contamination risk. However, the delivery outcome of electroporation heavily depends on the treated cells such as their type, size, and orientation to the electric field, not ideal for highly heterogeneous blood samples. Herein, a new electroporation system was developed towards effective transfection to cells in blood regardless of their large diversity. By coupling replica molding and infiltration-coating processes, we successfully configured a three-dimensional electrode comprised of a polymer micropillar array on which carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are partially embedded. During electroporation, cells sag between micropillars and deform to form a conformal contact with their top and side surfaces. The implanted CNTs not only provide a robust conductive coating for polymer micropattern but also have their protruded ends face the cell membrane vertically everywhere with maximum transmembrane potential. Regardless of their largely varied sizes and random dispersion, both individual blood cell type and whole blood samples were effectively transfected with plasmid DNA (85% after 24 h and 95% after 72 h, or 2.5-3.0 folds enhancement). High-dose RNA probes were also introduced, which regulate better the expression levels of exogenous and endogenous genes in blood cells. Besides its promising performance on non-viral delivery routes to cell-related studies and therapy, the involved new fabrication method also provides a convenient and effective way to construct flexible electronics with stable micro/nano features on the surface.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuan Liu
- Center for Biomedical Engineering and Rehabilitations, Institute for Micromanufacturing, Louisiana Tech University, PO Box 10137, Ruston, LA, 71272, USA.
| | - An-Yi Chang
- Center for Biomedical Engineering and Rehabilitations, Institute for Micromanufacturing, Louisiana Tech University, PO Box 10137, Ruston, LA, 71272, USA.
| | - Yifan Ma
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA.
| | - Liping Hua
- Center for Biomedical Engineering and Rehabilitations, Institute for Micromanufacturing, Louisiana Tech University, PO Box 10137, Ruston, LA, 71272, USA.
| | - Zhaogang Yang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA.
| | - Shengnian Wang
- Center for Biomedical Engineering and Rehabilitations, Institute for Micromanufacturing, Louisiana Tech University, PO Box 10137, Ruston, LA, 71272, USA.
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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: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [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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Kaladharan K, Kumar A, Gupta P, Illath K, Santra TS, Tseng FG. Microfluidic Based Physical Approaches towards Single-Cell Intracellular Delivery and Analysis. MICROMACHINES 2021; 12:631. [PMID: 34071732 PMCID: PMC8228766 DOI: 10.3390/mi12060631] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2021] [Revised: 05/24/2021] [Accepted: 05/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The ability to deliver foreign molecules into a single living cell with high transfection efficiency and high cell viability is of great interest in cell biology for applications in therapeutic development, diagnostics, and drug delivery towards personalized medicine. Various physical delivery methods have long demonstrated the ability to deliver cargo molecules directly to the cytoplasm or nucleus and the mechanisms underlying most of the approaches have been extensively investigated. However, most of these techniques are bulk approaches that are cell-specific and have low throughput delivery. In comparison to bulk measurements, single-cell measurement technologies can provide a better understanding of the interactions among molecules, organelles, cells, and the microenvironment, which can aid in the development of therapeutics and diagnostic tools. To elucidate distinct responses during cell genetic modification, methods to achieve transfection at the single-cell level are of great interest. In recent years, single-cell technologies have become increasingly robust and accessible, although limitations exist. This review article aims to cover various microfluidic-based physical methods for single-cell intracellular delivery such as electroporation, mechanoporation, microinjection, sonoporation, optoporation, magnetoporation, and thermoporation and their analysis. The mechanisms of various physical methods, their applications, limitations, and prospects are also elaborated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kiran Kaladharan
- Department of Engineering and System Science, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu 300044, Taiwan; (K.K.); (A.K.)
| | - Ashish Kumar
- Department of Engineering and System Science, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu 300044, Taiwan; (K.K.); (A.K.)
| | - Pallavi Gupta
- Department of Engineering Design, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai 600036, India; (P.G.); (K.I.)
| | - Kavitha Illath
- Department of Engineering Design, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai 600036, India; (P.G.); (K.I.)
| | - Tuhin Subhra Santra
- Department of Engineering Design, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai 600036, India; (P.G.); (K.I.)
| | - Fan-Gang Tseng
- Department of Engineering and System Science, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu 300044, Taiwan; (K.K.); (A.K.)
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Morshedi Rad D, Alsadat Rad M, Razavi Bazaz S, Kashaninejad N, Jin D, Ebrahimi Warkiani M. A Comprehensive Review on Intracellular Delivery. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2021; 33:e2005363. [PMID: 33594744 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202005363] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2020] [Revised: 09/22/2020] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Intracellular delivery is considered an indispensable process for various studies, ranging from medical applications (cell-based therapy) to fundamental (genome-editing) and industrial (biomanufacture) approaches. Conventional macroscale delivery systems critically suffer from such issues as low cell viability, cytotoxicity, and inconsistent material delivery, which have opened up an interest in the development of more efficient intracellular delivery systems. In line with the advances in microfluidics and nanotechnology, intracellular delivery based on micro- and nanoengineered platforms has progressed rapidly and held great promises owing to their unique features. These approaches have been advanced to introduce a smorgasbord of diverse cargoes into various cell types with the maximum efficiency and the highest precision. This review differentiates macro-, micro-, and nanoengineered approaches for intracellular delivery. The macroengineered delivery platforms are first summarized and then each method is categorized based on whether it employs a carrier- or membrane-disruption-mediated mechanism to load cargoes inside the cells. Second, particular emphasis is placed on the micro- and nanoengineered advances in the delivery of biomolecules inside the cells. Furthermore, the applications and challenges of the established and emerging delivery approaches are summarized. The topic is concluded by evaluating the future perspective of intracellular delivery toward the micro- and nanoengineered approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dorsa Morshedi Rad
- School of Biomedical Engineering, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2007, Australia
- Institute for Biomedical Materials & Devices (IBMD), Faculty of Science, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2007, Australia
| | - Maryam Alsadat Rad
- School of Biomedical Engineering, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2007, Australia
- Institute for Biomedical Materials & Devices (IBMD), Faculty of Science, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2007, Australia
| | - Sajad Razavi Bazaz
- School of Biomedical Engineering, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2007, Australia
- Institute for Biomedical Materials & Devices (IBMD), Faculty of Science, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2007, Australia
| | - Navid Kashaninejad
- School of Biomedical Engineering, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2007, Australia
- Institute for Biomedical Materials & Devices (IBMD), Faculty of Science, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2007, Australia
| | - Dayong Jin
- Institute for Biomedical Materials & Devices (IBMD), Faculty of Science, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2007, Australia
- School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2007, Australia
| | - Majid Ebrahimi Warkiani
- School of Biomedical Engineering, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2007, Australia
- Institute for Biomedical Materials & Devices (IBMD), Faculty of Science, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2007, Australia
- Institute of Molecular Medicine, Sechenov University, Moscow, 119991, Russia
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14
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Brooks J, Minnick G, Mukherjee P, Jaberi A, Chang L, Espinosa HD, Yang R. High Throughput and Highly Controllable Methods for In Vitro Intracellular Delivery. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2020; 16:e2004917. [PMID: 33241661 PMCID: PMC8729875 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202004917] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2020] [Revised: 10/06/2020] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
In vitro and ex vivo intracellular delivery methods hold the key for releasing the full potential of tissue engineering, drug development, and many other applications. In recent years, there has been significant progress in the design and implementation of intracellular delivery systems capable of delivery at the same scale as viral transfection and bulk electroporation but offering fewer adverse outcomes. This review strives to examine a variety of methods for in vitro and ex vivo intracellular delivery such as flow-through microfluidics, engineered substrates, and automated probe-based systems from the perspective of throughput and control. Special attention is paid to a particularly promising method of electroporation using micro/nanochannel based porous substrates, which expose small patches of cell membrane to permeabilizing electric field. Porous substrate electroporation parameters discussed include system design, cells and cargos used, transfection efficiency and cell viability, and the electric field and its effects on molecular transport. The review concludes with discussion of potential new innovations which can arise from specific aspects of porous substrate-based electroporation platforms and high throughput, high control methods in general.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin Brooks
- Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, 68588, USA
| | - Grayson Minnick
- Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, 68588, USA
| | - Prithvijit Mukherjee
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA
| | - Arian Jaberi
- Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, 68588, USA
| | - Lingqian Chang
- School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Horacio D. Espinosa
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA
- Theoretical and Applied Mechanics Program, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA
| | - Ruiguo Yang
- Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, 68588, USA
- Nebraska Center for Integrated Biomolecular Communication, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, 68588, USA
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15
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Qu Y, Zhang Y, Yu Q, Chen H. Surface-Mediated Intracellular Delivery by Physical Membrane Disruption. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2020; 12:31054-31078. [PMID: 32559060 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.0c06978] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Effective and nondestructive intracellular delivery of exogenous molecules and other functional materials into living cells is of importance for diverse biological fundamental research and therapeutic applications, such as gene editing and cell-based therapies. However, for most exogenous molecules, the cell plasma membrane is effectively impermeable and thus remains the greatest barrier to intracellular delivery. In recent years, methods based on surface-mediated physical membrane disruption have attracted considerable attention. These methods exploit the physical properties of the surface to transiently increase the membrane permeability of cells come in contact thereto, thereby facilitating the efficient intracellular delivery of molecules regardless of molecule or target cell type. In this Review, we focus on recent progress, particularly over the past decade, on these surface-mediated membrane disruption-based delivery systems. According to the membrane disruption mechanism, three categories can be recognized: (i) mechanical penetration, (ii) electroporation, and (iii) photothermal poration. Each of these is discussed in turn and a brief perspective on future developments in this promising area is presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yangcui Qu
- State and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory for Novel Functional Polymeric Materials, College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, P. R. China
| | - Yanxia Zhang
- Institute for Cardiovascular Science and Department of Cardiovascular Surgery of the First Affiliated Hospital, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215007, P. R. China
| | - Qian Yu
- State and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory for Novel Functional Polymeric Materials, College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, P. R. China
| | - Hong Chen
- State and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory for Novel Functional Polymeric Materials, College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, P. R. China
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16
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Dong Z, Jiao Y, Xie B, Hao Y, Wang P, Liu Y, Shi J, Chitrakar C, Black S, Wang YC, Lee LJ, Li M, Fan Y, Chang L. On-chip multiplexed single-cell patterning and controllable intracellular delivery. MICROSYSTEMS & NANOENGINEERING 2020; 6:2. [PMID: 34567617 PMCID: PMC8433345 DOI: 10.1038/s41378-019-0112-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2019] [Revised: 09/23/2019] [Accepted: 10/10/2019] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Conventional electroporation approaches show limitations in the delivery of macromolecules in vitro and in vivo. These limitations include low efficiency, noticeable cell damage and nonuniform delivery of cells. Here, we present a simple 3D electroporation platform that enables massively parallel single-cell manipulation and the intracellular delivery of macromolecules and small molecules. A pyramid pit micropore array chip was fabricated based on a silicon wet-etching method. A controllable vacuum system was adopted to trap a single cell on each micropore. Using this chip, safe single-cell electroporation was performed at low voltage. Cargoes of various sizes ranging from oligonucleotides (molecular beacons, 22 bp) to plasmid DNA (CRISPR-Cas9 expression vectors, >9 kb) were delivered into targeted cells with a significantly higher transfection efficiency than that of multiple benchmark methods (e.g., commercial electroporation devices and Lipofectamine). The delivered dose of the chemotherapeutic drug could be controlled by adjusting the applied voltage. By using CRISPR-Cas9 transfection with this system, the p62 gene and CXCR7 gene were knocked out in tumor cells, which effectively inhibited their cellular activity. Overall, this vacuum-assisted micropore array platform provides a simple, efficient, high-throughput intracellular delivery method that may facilitate on-chip cell manipulation, intracellular investigation and cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zaizai Dong
- School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Beihang University, 100083 Beijing, China
- Institute of Nanotechnology for Single Cell Analysis (INSCA), Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Biomedical Engineering, Beihang University, 100083 Beijing, China
| | - Yanli Jiao
- College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611 USA
| | - Bingteng Xie
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, Peking University Third Hospital, 100191 Beijing, China
| | - Yongcun Hao
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Micro and Nano Systems for Aerospace, Northwestern Polytechnical University, 710072 Xi’an, China
| | - Pan Wang
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, Peking University Third Hospital, 100191 Beijing, China
| | - Yuanyuan Liu
- School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Beihang University, 100083 Beijing, China
- Institute of Nanotechnology for Single Cell Analysis (INSCA), Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Biomedical Engineering, Beihang University, 100083 Beijing, China
| | - Junfeng Shi
- Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Department, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43209 USA
| | - Chandani Chitrakar
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of North Texas, Denton, TX 76207 USA
| | - Stephen Black
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of North Texas, Denton, TX 76207 USA
| | - Yu-Chieh Wang
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, TX 76107 USA
| | - L. James Lee
- Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Department, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43209 USA
| | - Mo Li
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, Peking University Third Hospital, 100191 Beijing, China
| | - Yubo Fan
- School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Beihang University, 100083 Beijing, China
- Institute of Nanotechnology for Single Cell Analysis (INSCA), Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Biomedical Engineering, Beihang University, 100083 Beijing, China
| | - Lingqian Chang
- School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Beihang University, 100083 Beijing, China
- Institute of Nanotechnology for Single Cell Analysis (INSCA), Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Biomedical Engineering, Beihang University, 100083 Beijing, China
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of North Texas, Denton, TX 76207 USA
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17
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Flow micropillar array electroporation to enhance size specific transfection to a large population of cells. Bioelectrochemistry 2019; 132:107417. [PMID: 31830670 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioelechem.2019.107417] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2019] [Revised: 11/14/2019] [Accepted: 11/17/2019] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Despite serving as a popular non-viral delivery approach, electroporation carries several drawbacks in its current configurations. We developed a Flow Micropillar-array Electroporation (FME) system to wisely regulate an important transmembrane-determining factor, namely cell size variations among individual cells, to achieve effective transfection. In FME, cells flow through a slit-type microfluidic channel on which carbon electrodes with well-patterned micropillar array texture are integrated as the top and bottom wall. Gravity helps bring cells to the micropillar array surface so that the permeable area on cells in different size populations is specified by their size regardless their random location fact. Without sacrificing cell viability, we demonstrate this FME concept by delivering DNA plasmids to several mammalian cell lines with obvious transfection enhancement when compared to a commercial system (K562: 3.0 folds; A549: 3.3 folds; HeLa: 1.8 folds, COS7: 1.7 folds; 293T: 2.9 folds; mES: 2.5 folds). Moreover, carbon-based electrodes are less expensive, more durable, and convenient for integration with a microfluidic setup which enables rapid and massive transfection capability that many therapeutic application needs. The success of FME may benefit many emerging biological studies and clinical practice that requires effective transfection to a large population of cells in limited processing time.
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18
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He G, Feng J, Zhang A, Zhou L, Wen R, Wu J, Yang C, Yang J, Li C, Chen D, Wang J, Hu N, Xie X. Multifunctional Branched Nanostraw-Electroporation Platform for Intracellular Regulation and Monitoring of Circulating Tumor Cells. NANO LETTERS 2019; 19:7201-7209. [PMID: 31557044 DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.9b02790] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Downstream analysis of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) has provided new insights into cancer research. In particular, the detection of CTCs, followed by the regulation and monitoring of their intracellular activities, can provide valuable information for comprehensively understanding cancer pathogenesis and progression. However, current CTC detection techniques are rarely capable of in situ regulation and monitoring of the intracellular microenvironments of cancer cells over time. Here, we developed a multifunctional branched nanostraw (BNS)-electroporation platform that could effectively capture CTCs and allow for downstream regulation and monitoring of their intracellular activities in a real-time and in situ manner. The BNSs possessed numerous nanobranches on the outer sidewall of hollow nanotubes, which could be conjugated with specific antibodies to facilitate the effective capture of CTCs. Nanoelectroporation could be applied through the BNSs to nondestructively porate the membranes of the captured cells at a low voltage, allowing the delivery of exogenous biomolecules into the cytosol and the extraction of cytosolic contents through the BNSs without affecting cell viability. The efficient delivery of biomolecules (e.g., small molecule dyes and DNA plasmids) into cancer cells with spatial and temporal control and, conversely, the repeated extraction of intracellular enzymes (e.g., caspase-3) for real-time monitoring were both demonstrated. This technology can provide new opportunities for the comprehensive understanding of cancer cell functions that will facilitate cancer diagnosis and treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gen He
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, State Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Materials and Technologies, School of Electronics and Information Technology , Sun Yat-Sen University , Guangzhou 510006 , China
| | - Jianming Feng
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, State Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Materials and Technologies, School of Electronics and Information Technology , Sun Yat-Sen University , Guangzhou 510006 , China
| | - Aihua Zhang
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, State Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Materials and Technologies, School of Electronics and Information Technology , Sun Yat-Sen University , Guangzhou 510006 , China
| | - Lingfei Zhou
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, State Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Materials and Technologies, School of Electronics and Information Technology , Sun Yat-Sen University , Guangzhou 510006 , China
| | - Rui Wen
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, State Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Materials and Technologies, School of Electronics and Information Technology , Sun Yat-Sen University , Guangzhou 510006 , China
| | - Jiangming Wu
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, State Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Materials and Technologies, School of Electronics and Information Technology , Sun Yat-Sen University , Guangzhou 510006 , China
| | - Chengduan Yang
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, State Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Materials and Technologies, School of Electronics and Information Technology , Sun Yat-Sen University , Guangzhou 510006 , China
| | - Jiang Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine , Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center , Guangzhou 510060 , China
| | - Chunwei Li
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, State Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Materials and Technologies, School of Electronics and Information Technology , Sun Yat-Sen University , Guangzhou 510006 , China
| | - Demeng Chen
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, State Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Materials and Technologies, School of Electronics and Information Technology , Sun Yat-Sen University , Guangzhou 510006 , China
| | - Ji Wang
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, State Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Materials and Technologies, School of Electronics and Information Technology , Sun Yat-Sen University , Guangzhou 510006 , China
| | - Ning Hu
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, State Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Materials and Technologies, School of Electronics and Information Technology , Sun Yat-Sen University , Guangzhou 510006 , China
| | - Xi Xie
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, State Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Materials and Technologies, School of Electronics and Information Technology , Sun Yat-Sen University , Guangzhou 510006 , China
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19
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Schubert M, Rasche J, Laurila MM, Vuorinen T, Mäntysalo M, Bock K. Printed Flexible Microelectrode for Application of Nanosecond Pulsed Electric Fields on Cells. MATERIALS 2019; 12:ma12172713. [PMID: 31450575 PMCID: PMC6747599 DOI: 10.3390/ma12172713] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2019] [Revised: 08/05/2019] [Accepted: 08/20/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Medical treatment is increasingly benefiting from biomedical microsystems, especially the trending telemedical application. A promising modality for tumor therapy showed the application of nanosecond pulsed electric fields (nsPEF) on cells to achieve nanoporation, cell death, and other cell reactions. A key technology for this method is the generation of pulsed fields in the nanosecond range with high-field strengths in the range of several kilovolts per centimeter. For further biomedical applications, state-of-the-art setups need to decrease in size and improve their capability of integration into microsystems. Due to demanding electronic requirements, i.e., using high voltages and fast pulses, miniaturization and low-cost fabrication of the electrode is first considered. This paper proposes a proof-of-concept for a miniaturized printed flexible electrode that can apply nsPEF on adherent fibroblast cells. The interdigital gold electrode was printed on polyimide with line-width of about 10 µm using an electrohydrodynamic inkjet printer. Furthermore, an electrical circuit was developed to generate both electrical pulses in the nano-second range and voltages up to 180 V. The electrode was integrated into an experimental setup for in-vitro application to human fibroblasts. Field strengths up to 100 kV/cm with 45 ns pulse duration were applied, depending on the degree of cell confluence. The cells show contraction, detachment from the electrode, and lethal reactions after the nsPEF treatment. Furthermore, this printed miniaturized electrode was found to be suitable for subsequent microsystem integration and further cell experiments to optimize pulse parameters for control of cell reaction and behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Schubert
- Electronics Packaging Laboratory, Technische Universität Dresden, 01069 Dresden, Germany.
- Centre for Tactile Internet with Human-in-the-Loop (CeTI), Technische Universität Dresden, 01062 Dresden, Germany.
| | - Jens Rasche
- Electronics Packaging Laboratory, Technische Universität Dresden, 01069 Dresden, Germany
| | - Mika-Matti Laurila
- Electrical Engineering, Faculty of Information Technology and Communication Sciences, Tampere University, 33720 Tampere, Finland
| | - Tiina Vuorinen
- Electrical Engineering, Faculty of Information Technology and Communication Sciences, Tampere University, 33720 Tampere, Finland
| | - Matti Mäntysalo
- Electrical Engineering, Faculty of Information Technology and Communication Sciences, Tampere University, 33720 Tampere, Finland
| | - Karlheinz Bock
- Electronics Packaging Laboratory, Technische Universität Dresden, 01069 Dresden, Germany
- Centre for Tactile Internet with Human-in-the-Loop (CeTI), Technische Universität Dresden, 01062 Dresden, Germany
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20
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Shi J, Ma Y, Zhu J, Chen Y, Sun Y, Yao Y, Yang Z, Xie J. A Review on Electroporation-Based Intracellular Delivery. Molecules 2018; 23:E3044. [PMID: 30469344 PMCID: PMC6278265 DOI: 10.3390/molecules23113044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 136] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2018] [Revised: 11/13/2018] [Accepted: 11/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Intracellular delivery is a critical step in biological discoveries and has been widely utilized in biomedical research. A variety of molecular tools have been developed for cell-based gene therapies, including FDA approved CAR-T immunotherapy, iPSC, cell reprogramming and gene editing. Despite the inspiring results of these applications, intracellular delivery of foreign molecules including nucleic acids and proteins remains challenging. Efficient yet non-invasive delivery of biomolecules in a high-throughput manner has thus long fascinates the scientific community. As one of the most popular non-viral technologies for cell transfection, electroporation has gone through enormous development with the assist of nanotechnology and microfabrication. Emergence of miniatured electroporation system brought up many merits over the weakness of traditional electroporation system, including precise dose control and high cell viability. These new generation of electroporation systems are of considerable importance to expand the biological applications of intracellular delivery, bypassing the potential safety issue of viral vectors. In this review, we will go over the recent progresses in the electroporation-based intracellular delivery and several potential applications of cutting-edge research on the miniatured electroporation, including gene therapy, cellular reprogramming and intracellular probe.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junfeng Shi
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.
| | - Yifan Ma
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.
| | - Jing Zhu
- College of Pharmacy, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.
| | - Yuanxin Chen
- Department of Neurosurgery, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Jacksonville, FL 33573, USA.
| | - Yating Sun
- School of Life Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun 130012, China.
| | - Yicheng Yao
- School of Life Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun 130012, China.
| | - Zhaogang Yang
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.
| | - Jing Xie
- School of Life Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun 130012, China.
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21
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Experton J, Wilson AG, Martin CR. Low-Voltage Flow-Through Electroporation in Gold-Microtube Membranes. Anal Chem 2016; 88:12445-12452. [PMID: 28193019 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.6b03820] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Electroporation is used to create pores within the membrane of living cells in order to deliver a substance, for example, a gene, into the cytoplasm. To achieve the high electric field gradients required to porate the membrane, current electroporation devices deliver voltage pulses in the kV range to the cell medium. We describe a new device based on gold-microtube membranes that can accomplish electroporation with voltage pulses that are orders of magnitude smaller, ≤5 V. This is possible because the voltage pulses are applied to the gold microtubes resulting in large electric field gradients down the length of the tubes. We used COMSOL simulations to calculate the electric field gradients, and these theoretical results were compared with known experimental values required to electroporate Escherichia coli. We developed two fluorescence-based methods to demonstrate successful electroporation of E. coli. The percentages of electroporated bacteria were found to be more than an order of magnitude higher than obtained with a commercial electroporator, although the voltage employed was 500 times lower. Furthermore, this microtube membrane device is flow through and is therefore capable of continuous, as opposed to batch-wise, electroporation and cell analysis. Cell throughput of >30 million cells per min, higher than any previously reported device, were obtained.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juliette Experton
- Department of Chemistry, University of Florida , Gainesville, Florida 32611, United States
| | - Aaron G Wilson
- Department of Chemistry, University of Florida , Gainesville, Florida 32611, United States
| | - Charles R Martin
- Department of Chemistry, University of Florida , Gainesville, Florida 32611, United States
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22
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Zu Y, Huang S, Lu Y, Liu X, Wang S. Size Specific Transfection to Mammalian Cells by Micropillar Array Electroporation. Sci Rep 2016; 6:38661. [PMID: 27924861 PMCID: PMC5141490 DOI: 10.1038/srep38661] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2015] [Accepted: 11/14/2016] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Electroporation serves as a promising non-viral gene delivery approach, while its current configuration carries several drawbacks associated with high-voltage electrical pulses and heterogeneous treatment on individual cells. Here we developed a new micropillar array electroporation (MAE) platform to advance the electroporation-based delivery of DNA and RNA probes into mammalian cells. By introducing well-patterned micropillar array texture on the electrode surface, the number of pillars each cell faces varies with its plasma membrane surface area, despite their large population and random locations. In this way, cell size specific electroporation is conveniently carried out, contributing to a 2.5~3 fold increase on plasmid DNA transfection and an additional 10–55% transgene knockdown with siRNA probes, respectively. The delivery efficiency varies with the number and size of micropillars as well as their pattern density. As MAE works like many single cell electroporation are carried out in parallel, the electrophysiology response of individual cells is representative, which has potentials to facilitate the tedious, cell-specific protocol screening process in current bulk electroporation (i.e., electroporation to a large population of cells). Its success might promote the wide adoption of electroporation as a safe and effective non-viral gene delivery approach needed in many biological research and clinical treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yingbo Zu
- Chemical Engineering, Louisiana Tech University, PO Box 10137, Ruston, LA, 71272, USA.,Institute for Micromanufacturing, Louisiana Tech University, PO Box 10137, Ruston, LA, 71272, USA
| | - Shuyan Huang
- Biomedical Engineering, Louisiana Tech University, PO Box 10137, Ruston, LA, 71272, USA.,Center for Biomedical Engineering and Rehabilitations, Louisiana Tech University, PO Box 10137, Ruston, LA, 71272, USA
| | - Yang Lu
- Chemical Engineering, Louisiana Tech University, PO Box 10137, Ruston, LA, 71272, USA.,Institute for Micromanufacturing, Louisiana Tech University, PO Box 10137, Ruston, LA, 71272, USA
| | - Xuan Liu
- Biomedical Engineering, Louisiana Tech University, PO Box 10137, Ruston, LA, 71272, USA.,Center for Biomedical Engineering and Rehabilitations, Louisiana Tech University, PO Box 10137, Ruston, LA, 71272, USA
| | - Shengnian Wang
- Chemical Engineering, Louisiana Tech University, PO Box 10137, Ruston, LA, 71272, USA.,Institute for Micromanufacturing, Louisiana Tech University, PO Box 10137, Ruston, LA, 71272, USA.,Center for Biomedical Engineering and Rehabilitations, Louisiana Tech University, PO Box 10137, Ruston, LA, 71272, USA
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23
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Chang L, Li L, Shi J, Sheng Y, Lu W, Gallego-Perez D, Lee LJ. Micro-/nanoscale electroporation. LAB ON A CHIP 2016; 16:4047-4062. [PMID: 27713986 DOI: 10.1039/c6lc00840b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Electroporation has been one of the most popular non-viral technologies for cell transfection. However, conventional bulk electroporation (BEP) shows significant limitations in efficiency, cell viability and transfection uniformity. Recent advances in microscale-electroporation (MEP) resulted in improved cell viability. Further miniaturization of the electroporation system (i.e., nanoscale) has brought up many unique advantages, including negligible cell damage and dosage control capabilities with single-cell resolution, which has enabled more translational applications. In this review, we give an insight into the fundamental and technical aspects of micro- and nanoscale/nanochannel electroporation (NEP) and go over several examples of MEP/NEP-based cutting-edge research, including gene editing, adoptive immunotherapy, and cellular reprogramming. The challenges and opportunities of advanced electroporation technologies are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lingqian Chang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.
| | - Lei Li
- School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164, USA
| | - Junfeng Shi
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Yan Sheng
- William G. Lowrie Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43209, USA
| | - Wu Lu
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43209, USA
| | - Daniel Gallego-Perez
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA. and Department of Surgery, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Ly James Lee
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA. and Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA and William G. Lowrie Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43209, USA
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24
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Chang L, Bertani P, Gallego-Perez D, Yang Z, Chen F, Chiang C, Malkoc V, Kuang T, Gao K, Lee LJ, Lu W. 3D nanochannel electroporation for high-throughput cell transfection with high uniformity and dosage control. NANOSCALE 2016; 8:243-52. [PMID: 26309218 DOI: 10.1039/c5nr03187g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Of great interest to modern medicine and biomedical research is the ability to inject individual target cells with the desired genes or drug molecules. Some advances in cell electroporation allow for high throughput, high cell viability, or excellent dosage control, yet no platform is available for the combination of all three. In an effort to solve this problem, here we show a "3D nano-channel electroporation (NEP) chip" on a silicon platform designed to meet these three criteria. This NEP chip can simultaneously deliver the desired molecules into 40,000 cells per cm(2) on the top surface of the device. Each 650 nm pore aligns to a cell and can be used to deliver extremely small biological elements to very large plasmids (>10 kbp). When compared to conventional bulk electroporation (BEP), the NEP chip shows a 20 fold improvement in dosage control and uniformity, while still maintaining high cell viability (>90%) even in cells such as cardiac cells which are characteristically difficult to transfect. This high-throughput 3D NEP system provides an innovative and medically valuable platform with uniform and reliable cellular transfection, allowing for a steady supply of healthy, engineered cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lingqian Chang
- National Science and Engineering Center for Affordable Nanoengineering of Polymeric Biomedical Devices, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA. and Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA
| | - Paul Bertani
- National Science and Engineering Center for Affordable Nanoengineering of Polymeric Biomedical Devices, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA. and Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA
| | - Daniel Gallego-Perez
- National Science and Engineering Center for Affordable Nanoengineering of Polymeric Biomedical Devices, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA.
| | - Zhaogang Yang
- National Science and Engineering Center for Affordable Nanoengineering of Polymeric Biomedical Devices, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA.
| | - Feng Chen
- National Science and Engineering Center for Affordable Nanoengineering of Polymeric Biomedical Devices, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA.
| | - Chiling Chiang
- Department of Internal Medicine, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43209, USA
| | - Veysi Malkoc
- National Science and Engineering Center for Affordable Nanoengineering of Polymeric Biomedical Devices, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA.
| | - Tairong Kuang
- National Science and Engineering Center for Affordable Nanoengineering of Polymeric Biomedical Devices, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA.
| | - Keliang Gao
- National Science and Engineering Center for Affordable Nanoengineering of Polymeric Biomedical Devices, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA.
| | - L James Lee
- National Science and Engineering Center for Affordable Nanoengineering of Polymeric Biomedical Devices, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA. and Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA
| | - Wu Lu
- National Science and Engineering Center for Affordable Nanoengineering of Polymeric Biomedical Devices, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA. and Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA
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Xia B, Jiang L, Li X, Yan X, Lu Y. Mechanism and elimination of bending effect in femtosecond laser deep-hole drilling. OPTICS EXPRESS 2015; 23:27853-27864. [PMID: 26480445 DOI: 10.1364/oe.23.027853] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
In this work, a comprehensive study of the bending effect, which remains one of the most critical challenges during deep-hole drilling, was conducted. The experimental statistics indicate that polarization is not the main factor in bending, but the deviation of the hole tends to be perpendicular to the polarization direction. Also, the dynamic ablated material/plasma was studied. Straight microholes were obtained by extending the interval between laser pulses to avoid dynamic ablated material existing in the millisecond time domain. Therefore, we speculated that the disturbance of the laser beam at the dynamic ablated aerosol, which have not sufficiently dispersed in the millisecond domain, is the main mechanism of bending. However, to more efficiently reduce the disturbance factor, a rough vacuum environment was applied; and the bending effect was also eliminated. The critical pressure for eliminating bending was about 2 × 10(4) Pa that is about one order of magnitude lower than the atmosphere. The fabricated high-quality microhole arrays without bending show that the proposed drilling method is convenient and efficient with high repeatability and controllability.
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26
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Chang L, Gallego-Perez D, Zhao X, Bertani P, Yang Z, Chiang CL, Malkoc V, Shi J, Sen CK, Odonnell L, Yu J, Lu W, Lee LJ. Dielectrophoresis-assisted 3D nanoelectroporation for non-viral cell transfection in adoptive immunotherapy. LAB ON A CHIP 2015; 15:3147-53. [PMID: 26105628 DOI: 10.1039/c5lc00553a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Current transfection technologies lead to significant inter-clonal variations. Previously we introduced a unique electrotransfection technology, Nanochannel-Electroporation (NEP), which can precisely and benignly transfect small cell populations (~100-200 cells) with single-cell resolution. Here we report on the development of a novel 3D NEP system for large scale transfection. A properly-engineered array of nanochannels, capable of handling/transfecting ~60 000 cells cm(-2), was fabricated using cleanroom technologies. Positive dielectrophoresis was used to selectively position cells on the nanochannels, thus allowing highly efficient transfection. Single-cell dosage control was demonstrated using both small and large molecules, and different cell types. The potential clinical relevance of this system was tested with difficult-to-transfect natural killer cell suspensions, and plasmids encoding for the chimeric antigen receptor (CAR), a model of high relevance for adoptive immunotherapy. Our results show significantly higher CAR transfection efficiencies for the DEP-NEP system (>70% vs. <30%), as well as enhanced cell viabilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lingqian Chang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA.
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27
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Chang L, Howdyshell M, Liao WC, Chiang CL, Gallego-Perez D, Yang Z, Lu W, Byrd JC, Muthusamy N, Lee LJ, Sooryakumar R. Magnetic tweezers-based 3D microchannel electroporation for high-throughput gene transfection in living cells. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2015; 11:1818-1828. [PMID: 25469659 PMCID: PMC4397144 DOI: 10.1002/smll.201402564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2014] [Revised: 10/14/2014] [Indexed: 04/14/2023]
Abstract
A novel high-throughput magnetic tweezers-based 3D microchannel electroporation system capable of transfecting 40 000 cells/cm(2) on a single chip for gene therapy, regenerative medicine, and intracellular detection of target mRNA for screening cellular heterogeneity is reported. A single cell or an ordered array of individual cells are remotely guided by programmable magnetic fields to poration sites with high (>90%) cell alignment efficiency to enable various transfection reagents to be delivered simultaneously into the cells. The present technique, in contrast to the conventional vacuum-based approach, is significantly gentler on the cellular membrane yielding >90% cell viability and, moreover, allows transfected cells to be transported for further analysis. Illustrating the versatility of the system, the GATA2 molecular beacon is delivered into leukemia cells to detect the regulation level of the GATA2 gene that is associated with the initiation of leukemia. The uniform delivery and a sharp contrast of fluorescence intensity between GATA2 positive and negative cells demonstrate key aspects of the platform for gene transfer, screening and detection of targeted intracellular markers in living cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lingqian Chang
- NSEC Center for Affordable Nanoengineering of Polymeric Biomedical Devices, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43209, USA
- Biomedical Engineering Department, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43209, USA
| | - Marci Howdyshell
- NSEC Center for Affordable Nanoengineering of Polymeric Biomedical Devices, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43209, USA
- Department of Physics, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43209, USA
| | - Wei-Ching Liao
- NSEC Center for Affordable Nanoengineering of Polymeric Biomedical Devices, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43209, USA
| | - Chi-Ling Chiang
- NSEC Center for Affordable Nanoengineering of Polymeric Biomedical Devices, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43209, USA
- Division of Hematology, The Comprehensive Cancer Center, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43209, USA
| | - Daniel Gallego-Perez
- NSEC Center for Affordable Nanoengineering of Polymeric Biomedical Devices, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43209, USA
| | - Zhaogang Yang
- NSEC Center for Affordable Nanoengineering of Polymeric Biomedical Devices, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43209, USA
| | - Wu Lu
- NSEC Center for Affordable Nanoengineering of Polymeric Biomedical Devices, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43209, USA
- Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43209, USA
| | - John C. Byrd
- Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43209, USA. Division of Hematology, The Comprehensive Cancer Center, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43209, USA
| | - Natarajan Muthusamy
- Division of Hematology, The Comprehensive Cancer Center, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43209, USA
| | - L. James. Lee
- NSEC Center for Affordable Nanoengineering of Polymeric Biomedical Devices, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43209, USA
- Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Department, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43209, USA
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Huang S, Deshmukh H, Rajagopalan KK, Wang S. Gold nanoparticles electroporation enhanced polyplex delivery to mammalian cells. Electrophoresis 2014; 35:1837-45. [PMID: 24777715 PMCID: PMC4696390 DOI: 10.1002/elps.201300617] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2013] [Revised: 03/10/2014] [Accepted: 04/10/2014] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Nonviral methods have been explored as the replacement of viral systems for their low toxicity and immunogenicity. However, they have yet to reach levels competitive to their viral counterparts. In this paper, we combined physical and chemical methods to improve the performance of polyplex delivery of DNA and small interfering RNA. Specifically, gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) were used to carry polyplex (a chemical approach) while electroporation (a physical approach) was applied for fast and direct cytosolic delivery. In this hybrid approach, cationic polymer molecules condense and/or protect genetic probes as usual while AuNPs help fix polycations to reduce their cytotoxicity and promote the transfection efficiency of electroporation. AuNPs of various sizes were first coated with polyethylenimine, which were further conjugated with DNA plasmids or small interfering RNA molecules to form AuNPs-polyplex. The hybrid nanoparticles were then mixed with cells and introduced into cell cytosol by electroporation. The delivery efficiency was evaluated with both model anchor cells (i.e., NIH/3T3) and suspension cells (i.e., K562), together with their impact on cell viability. We found that AuNP-polyplex showed 1.5∼2 folds improvement on the transfection efficiency with no significant increase of toxicity when compared to free plasmid delivery by electroporation alone. Such a combination of physical and chemical delivery concept may stimulate further exploration in the delivery of various therapeutic materials for both in vitro and in vivo applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuyan Huang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Louisiana Tech University, Ruston, LA, USA
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Park S, Bassat DB, Yossifon G. Individually addressable multi-chamber electroporation platform with dielectrophoresis and alternating-current-electro-osmosis assisted cell positioning. BIOMICROFLUIDICS 2014; 8:024117. [PMID: 24803966 PMCID: PMC4000404 DOI: 10.1063/1.4873439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2014] [Accepted: 04/16/2014] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
A multi-functional microfluidic platform was fabricated to demonstrate the feasibility of on-chip electroporation integrated with dielectrophoresis (DEP) and alternating-current-electro-osmosis (ACEO) assisted cell/particle manipulation. A spatial gradient of electroporation parameters was generated within a microchamber array and validated using normal human dermal fibroblast (NHDF) cells and red fluorescent protein-expressing human umbilical vein endothelial cells (RFP-HUVECs) with various fluorescent indicators. The edge of the bottom electrode, coinciding with the microchamber entrance, may act as an on-demand gate, functioning under either positive or negative DEP. In addition, at sufficiently low activation frequencies, ACEO vortices can complement the DEP to contribute to a rapid trapping/alignment of particles. As such, results clearly indicate that the microfluidic platform has the potential to achieve high-throughput screening for electroporation with spatial control and uniformity, assisted by DEP and ACEO manipulation/trapping of particles/cells into individual microchambers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sinwook Park
- Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Micro- and Nanofluidics Laboratory, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Technion City 32000, Israel
| | - Dana Ben Bassat
- Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Micro- and Nanofluidics Laboratory, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Technion City 32000, Israel
| | - Gilad Yossifon
- Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Micro- and Nanofluidics Laboratory, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Technion City 32000, Israel
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Lu M, Ho YP, Grigsby CL, Nawaz AA, Leong KW, Huang TJ. Three-dimensional hydrodynamic focusing method for polyplex synthesis. ACS NANO 2014; 8:332-9. [PMID: 24341632 PMCID: PMC3999362 DOI: 10.1021/nn404193e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Successful intracellular delivery of nucleic acid therapeutics relies on multiaspect optimization, one of which is formulation. While there has been ample innovation on chemical design of polymeric gene carriers, the same cannot be said for physical processing of polymer-DNA nanocomplexes (polyplexes). Conventional synthesis of polyplexes by bulk mixing depends on the operators' experience. The poorly controlled bulk mixing process may also lead to batch-to-batch variation and consequent irreproducibility. Here, we synthesize polyplexes by using a three-dimensional hydrodynamic focusing (3D-HF) technique in a single-layered, planar microfluidic device. Without any additional chemical treatment or postprocessing, the polyplexes prepared by the 3D-HF method show smaller size, slower aggregation rate, and higher transfection efficiency, while exhibiting reduced cytotoxicity compared to the ones synthesized by conventional bulk mixing. In addition, by introducing external acoustic perturbation, mixing can be further enhanced, leading to even smaller nanocomplexes. The 3D-HF method provides a simple and reproducible process for synthesizing high-quality polyplexes, addressing a critical barrier in the eventual translation of nucleic acid therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengqian Lu
- Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Yi-Ping Ho
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708, USA
- Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center (iNANO), Aarhus University, Denmark
| | - Christopher L. Grigsby
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708, USA
| | - Ahmad Ahsan Nawaz
- Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Kam W. Leong
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708, USA
| | - Tony Jun Huang
- Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
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Kamei KI. Cutting-Edge Microfabricated Biomedical Tools for Human Pluripotent Stem Cell Research. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2013; 18:469-81. [DOI: 10.1177/2211068213495394] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
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Abstract
Electroporation is a simple yet powerful technique for breaching the cell membrane barrier. The applications of electroporation can be generally divided into two categories: the release of intracellular proteins, nucleic acids and other metabolites for analysis and the delivery of exogenous reagents such as genes, drugs and nanoparticles with therapeutic purposes or for cellular manipulation. In this review, we go over the basic physics associated with cell electroporation and highlight recent technological advances on microfluidic platforms for conducting electroporation. Within the context of its working mechanism, we summarize the accumulated knowledge on how the parameters of electroporation affect its performance for various tasks. We discuss various strategies and designs for conducting electroporation at the microscale and then focus on analysis of intracellular contents and delivery of exogenous agents as two major applications of the technique. Finally, an outlook for future applications of microfluidic electroporation in increasingly diverse utilities is presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao Geng
- Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
| | - Chang Lu
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA. Fax: +1-540-231-5022; Tel: +1-540-231-8681
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Sciences, Virginia Tech-Wake Forest University, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
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34
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Ghafar-Zadeh E, Gholamzadeh B, Awwad F, Sawan M. On-chip electroporation: characterization, modeling and experimental results. ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE OF THE IEEE ENGINEERING IN MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY SOCIETY. IEEE ENGINEERING IN MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY SOCIETY. ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE 2013; 2012:2583-6. [PMID: 23366453 DOI: 10.1109/embc.2012.6346492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
In this paper, we describe an on-chip electroporation (EP) method for high precision nano-injection of bio-molecules into single cells. EP is an electrical stimulation method to create nano-pores on the cell plasma membrane. Herein, we first put forward the computational models of the cultured cells microelectrodes. We thereafter discuss practical considerations by demonstrating the preliminary experimental results. The mouse fibroblast cells are cultured above electrodes while experiencing a low frequency (10 Hz) electrical field (EF) in the presence of propidium iodide (PI).
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35
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Kang W, Yavari F, Minary-Jolandan M, Giraldo-Vela JP, Safi A, McNaughton RL, Parpoil V, Espinosa HD. Nanofountain probe electroporation (NFP-E) of single cells. NANO LETTERS 2013; 13:2448-57. [PMID: 23650871 PMCID: PMC3736975 DOI: 10.1021/nl400423c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
The ability to precisely deliver molecules into single cells is of great interest to biotechnology researchers for advancing applications in therapeutics, diagnostics, and drug delivery toward the promise of personalized medicine. The use of bulk electroporation techniques for cell transfection has increased significantly in the past decade, but the technique is nonspecific and requires high voltage, resulting in variable efficiency and low cell viability. We have developed a new tool for electroporation using nanofountain probe (NFP) technology, which can deliver molecules into cells in a manner that is highly efficient and gentler to cells than bulk electroporation or microinjection. Here we demonstrate NFP electroporation (NFP-E) of single HeLa cells within a population by transfecting them with fluorescently labeled dextran and imaging the cells to evaluate the transfection efficiency and cell viability. Our theoretical analysis of the mechanism of NFP-E reveals that application of the voltage creates a localized electric field between the NFP cantilever tip and the region of the cell membrane in contact with the tip. Therefore, NFP-E can deliver molecules to a target cell with minimal effect of the electric potential on the cell. Our experiments on HeLa cells confirm that NFP-E offers single cell selectivity, high transfection efficiency (>95%), qualitative dosage control, and very high viability (92%) of transfected cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wonmo Kang
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
- iNfinitesimal LLC, Winnetka, IL 60093, USA
| | - Fazel Yavari
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
| | - Majid Minary-Jolandan
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
| | | | - Asmahan Safi
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
| | - Rebecca L. McNaughton
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
- iNfinitesimal LLC, Winnetka, IL 60093, USA
| | | | - Horacio D. Espinosa
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
- Corresponding author: , Phone: 847-467-5989; Fax: 847-491-3915
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Xie X, Xu AM, Leal-Ortiz S, Cao Y, Garner CC, Melosh NA. Nanostraw-electroporation system for highly efficient intracellular delivery and transfection. ACS NANO 2013; 7:4351-8. [PMID: 23597131 DOI: 10.1021/nn400874a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 184] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Nondestructive introduction of genes, proteins, and small molecules into mammalian cells with high efficiency is a challenging, yet critical, process. Here we demonstrate a simple nanoelectroporation platform to achieve highly efficient molecular delivery and high transfection yields with excellent uniformity and cell viability. The system is built on alumina nanostraws extending from a track-etched membrane, forming an array of hollow nanowires connected to an underlying microfluidic channel. Cellular engulfment of the nanostraws provides an intimate contact, significantly reducing the necessary electroporation voltage and increasing homogeneity over a large area. Biomolecule delivery is achieved by diffusion through the nanostraws and enhanced by electrophoresis during pulsing. The system was demonstrated to offer excellent spatial, temporal, and dose control for delivery, as well as providing high-yield cotransfection and sequential transfection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xi Xie
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States
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37
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Fei Z, Wu Y, Sharma S, Gallego-Perez D, Higuita-Castro N, Hansford D, Lannutti JJ, Lee LJ. Gene Delivery to Cultured Embryonic Stem Cells Using Nanofiber-Based Sandwich Electroporation. Anal Chem 2013; 85:1401-7. [DOI: 10.1021/ac302140p] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Zhengzheng Fei
- William G. Lowrie
Department
of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The Ohio State University, 125A Koffolt Laboratories, 140 West 19th
Avenue, Columbus, Ohio 43210, United States
- NSF Nanoscale Science and Engineering
Center for Affordable Nanoengineering of Polymer Biomedical Devices, The Ohio State University, 174 W 18th Avenue, Room
1012, Columbus, Ohio 43210, United States
| | - Yun Wu
- NSF Nanoscale Science and Engineering
Center for Affordable Nanoengineering of Polymer Biomedical Devices, The Ohio State University, 174 W 18th Avenue, Room
1012, Columbus, Ohio 43210, United States
| | - Sadhana Sharma
- NSF Nanoscale Science and Engineering
Center for Affordable Nanoengineering of Polymer Biomedical Devices, The Ohio State University, 174 W 18th Avenue, Room
1012, Columbus, Ohio 43210, United States
| | - Daniel Gallego-Perez
- NSF Nanoscale Science and Engineering
Center for Affordable Nanoengineering of Polymer Biomedical Devices, The Ohio State University, 174 W 18th Avenue, Room
1012, Columbus, Ohio 43210, United States
| | - Natalia Higuita-Castro
- NSF Nanoscale Science and Engineering
Center for Affordable Nanoengineering of Polymer Biomedical Devices, The Ohio State University, 174 W 18th Avenue, Room
1012, Columbus, Ohio 43210, United States
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Ohio State University, 270 Bevis Hall, 1080 Carmack
Road, Columbus, Ohio 43210, United States
| | - Derek Hansford
- NSF Nanoscale Science and Engineering
Center for Affordable Nanoengineering of Polymer Biomedical Devices, The Ohio State University, 174 W 18th Avenue, Room
1012, Columbus, Ohio 43210, United States
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Ohio State University, 270 Bevis Hall, 1080 Carmack
Road, Columbus, Ohio 43210, United States
| | - John J. Lannutti
- NSF Nanoscale Science and Engineering
Center for Affordable Nanoengineering of Polymer Biomedical Devices, The Ohio State University, 174 W 18th Avenue, Room
1012, Columbus, Ohio 43210, United States
- Department of Materials Science
and Engineering, The Ohio State University, 477 W Hall, 2041 College Road, Columbus, Ohio 43210, United States
| | - Ly James Lee
- William G. Lowrie
Department
of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The Ohio State University, 125A Koffolt Laboratories, 140 West 19th
Avenue, Columbus, Ohio 43210, United States
- NSF Nanoscale Science and Engineering
Center for Affordable Nanoengineering of Polymer Biomedical Devices, The Ohio State University, 174 W 18th Avenue, Room
1012, Columbus, Ohio 43210, United States
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38
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Wang S, Lee LJ. Micro-/nanofluidics based cell electroporation. BIOMICROFLUIDICS 2013; 7:11301. [PMID: 23405056 PMCID: PMC3555966 DOI: 10.1063/1.4774071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2012] [Accepted: 12/04/2012] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Non-viral gene delivery has been extensively explored as the replacement for viral systems. Among various non-viral approaches, electroporation has gained increasing attention because of its easy operation and no restrictions on probe or cell type. Several effective systems are now available on the market with reasonably good gene delivery performance. To facilitate broader biological and medical applications, micro-/nanofluidics based technologies were introduced in cell electroporation during the past two decades and their advances are summarized in this perspective. Compared to the commercially available bulk electroporation systems, they offer several advantages, namely, (1) sufficiently high pulse strength generated by a very low potential difference, (2) conveniently concentrating, trapping, and regulating the position and concentration of cells and probes, (3) real-time monitoring the intracellular trafficking at single cell level, and (4) flexibility on cells to be transfected (from single cell to large scale cell population). Some of the micro-devices focus on cell lysis or fusion as well as the analysis of cellular properties or intracellular contents, while others are designed for gene transfection. The uptake of small molecules (e.g., dyes), DNA plasmids, interfering RNAs, and nanoparticles has been broadly examined on different types of mammalian cells, yeast, and bacteria. A great deal of progress has been made with a variety of new micro-/nanofluidic designs to address challenges such as electrochemical reactions including water electrolysis, gas bubble formation, waste of expensive reagents, poor cell viability, low transfection efficacy, higher throughput, and control of transfection dosage and uniformity. Future research needs required to advance micro-/nanofluidics based cell electroporation for broad life science and medical applications are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shengnian Wang
- Institute for Micromanufacturing, Louisiana Tech University, Ruston, Louisiana 71272, USA and Chemical Engineering Program, Louisiana Tech University, Ruston, Louisiana 71272, USA
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Lesher-Perez SC, Frampton JP, Takayama S. Microfluidic systems: a new toolbox for pluripotent stem cells. Biotechnol J 2012; 8:180-91. [PMID: 23125055 DOI: 10.1002/biot.201200206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2012] [Revised: 08/23/2012] [Accepted: 09/25/2012] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Conventional culture systems are often limited in their ability to regulate the growth and differentiation of pluripotent stem cells. Microfluidic systems can overcome some of these limitations by providing defined growth conditions with user-controlled spatiotemporal cues. Microfluidic systems allow researchers to modulate pluripotent stem cell renewal and differentiation through biochemical and mechanical stimulation, as well as through microscale patterning and organization of cells and extracellular materials. Essentially, microfluidic tools are reducing the gap between in vitro cell culture environments and the complex and dynamic features of the in vivo stem cell niche. These microfluidic culture systems can also be integrated with microanalytical tools to assess the health and molecular status of pluripotent stem cells. The ability to control biochemical and mechanical input to cells, as well as rapidly and efficiently analyze the biological output from cells, will further our understanding of stem cells and help translate them into clinical use. This review provides a comprehensive insignt into the implications of microfluidics on pluripotent stem cell research.
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40
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Boukany PE, Morss A, Liao WC, Henslee B, Jung H, Zhang X, Yu B, Wang X, Wu Y, Li L, Gao K, Hu X, Zhao X, Hemminger O, Lu W, Lafyatis GP, Lee LJ. Nanochannel electroporation delivers precise amounts of biomolecules into living cells. NATURE NANOTECHNOLOGY 2011; 6:747-54. [PMID: 22002097 DOI: 10.1038/nnano.2011.164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 220] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2011] [Accepted: 09/05/2011] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
Many transfection techniques can deliver biomolecules into cells, but the dose cannot be controlled precisely. Delivering well-defined amounts of materials into cells is important for various biological studies and therapeutic applications. Here, we show that nanochannel electroporation can deliver precise amounts of a variety of transfection agents into living cells. The device consists of two microchannels connected by a nanochannel. The cell to be transfected is positioned in one microchannel using optical tweezers, and the transfection agent is located in the second microchannel. Delivering a voltage pulse between the microchannels produces an intense electric field over a very small area on the cell membrane, allowing a precise amount of transfection agent to be electrophoretically driven through the nanochannel, the cell membrane and into the cell cytoplasm, without affecting cell viability. Dose control is achieved by adjusting the duration and number of pulses. The nanochannel electroporation device is expected to have high-throughput delivery applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pouyan E Boukany
- Center for Affordable Nanoengineering of Polymeric Biomedical Devices, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA
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