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Zhao N, Pessell AF, Zhu N, Searson PC. Tissue-Engineered Microvessels: A Review of Current Engineering Strategies and Applications. Adv Healthc Mater 2024; 13:e2303419. [PMID: 38686434 PMCID: PMC11338730 DOI: 10.1002/adhm.202303419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2023] [Revised: 04/10/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024]
Abstract
Microvessels, including arterioles, capillaries, and venules, play an important role in regulating blood flow, enabling nutrient and waste exchange, and facilitating immune surveillance. Due to their important roles in maintaining normal function in human tissues, a substantial effort has been devoted to developing tissue-engineered models to study endothelium-related biology and pathology. Various engineering strategies have been developed to recapitulate the structural, cellular, and molecular hallmarks of native human microvessels in vitro. In this review, recent progress in engineering approaches, key components, and culture platforms for tissue-engineered human microvessel models is summarized. Then, tissue-specific models, and the major applications of tissue-engineered microvessels in development, disease modeling, drug screening and delivery, and vascularization in tissue engineering, are reviewed. Finally, future research directions for the field are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nan Zhao
- Institute for Nanobiotechnology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA
| | - Alexander F Pessell
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA
| | - Ninghao Zhu
- Institute for Nanobiotechnology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA
| | - Peter C Searson
- Institute for Nanobiotechnology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA
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2
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Mulay AR, Hwang J, Kim DH. Microphysiological Blood-Brain Barrier Systems for Disease Modeling and Drug Development. Adv Healthc Mater 2024; 13:e2303180. [PMID: 38430211 PMCID: PMC11338747 DOI: 10.1002/adhm.202303180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2023] [Revised: 02/22/2024] [Indexed: 03/03/2024]
Abstract
The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is a highly controlled microenvironment that regulates the interactions between cerebral blood and brain tissue. Due to its selectivity, many therapeutics targeting various neurological disorders are not able to penetrate into brain tissue. Pre-clinical studies using animals and other in vitro platforms have not shown the ability to fully replicate the human BBB leading to the failure of a majority of therapeutics in clinical trials. However, recent innovations in vitro and ex vivo modeling called organs-on-chips have shown the potential to create more accurate disease models for improved drug development. These microfluidic platforms induce physiological stressors on cultured cells and are able to generate more physiologically accurate BBBs compared to previous in vitro models. In this review, different approaches to create BBBs-on-chips are explored alongside their application in modeling various neurological disorders and potential therapeutic efficacy. Additionally, organs-on-chips use in BBB drug delivery studies is discussed, and advances in linking brain organs-on-chips onto multiorgan platforms to mimic organ crosstalk are reviewed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Atharva R. Mulay
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218
| | - Jihyun Hwang
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205
| | - Deok-Ho Kim
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205
- Center for Microphysiological Systems, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21218
- Institute for NanoBioTechnology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, 21218
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3
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van Elburg B, Deprez J, van den Broek M, De Smedt SC, Versluis M, Lajoinie G, Lentacker I, Segers T. Dependence of sonoporation efficiency on microbubble size: An in vitro monodisperse microbubble study. J Control Release 2023; 363:747-755. [PMID: 37778466 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2023.09.047] [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: 05/12/2023] [Revised: 07/24/2023] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 10/03/2023]
Abstract
Sonoporation is the process where intracellular drug delivery is facilitated by ultrasound-driven microbubble oscillations. Several mechanisms have been proposed to relate microbubble dynamics to sonoporation including shear and normal stress. The present work aims to gain insight into the role of microbubble size on sonoporation and thereby into the relevant mechanism(s) of sonoporation. To this end, we measured the sonoporation efficiency while varying microbubble size using monodisperse microbubble suspensions. Sonoporation experiments were performed in vitro on cell monolayers using a single ultrasound pulse with a fixed frequency of 1 MHz while the acoustic pressure amplitude and pulse length were varied at 250, 500, and 750 kPa, and 10, 100, and 1000 cycles, respectively. Sonoporation efficiency was quantified using flow cytometry by measuring the FITC-dextran (4 kDa and 2 MDa) fluorescence intensity in 10,000 cells per experiment to average out inherent variations in the bioresponse. Using ultra-high-speed imaging at 10 million frames per second, we demonstrate that the bubble oscillation amplitude is nearly independent of the equilibrium bubble radius at acoustic pressure amplitudes that induce sonoporation (≥ 500 kPa). However, we show that sonoporation efficiency is strongly dependent on the equilibrium bubble size and that under all explored driving conditions most efficiently induced by bubbles with a radius of 4.7 μm. Polydisperse microbubbles with a typical ultrasound contrast agent size distribution perform almost an order of magnitude lower in terms of sonoporation efficiency than the 4.7-μm bubbles. We elucidate that for our system shear stress is highly unlikely the mechanism of action. By contrast, we show that sonoporation efficiency correlates well with an estimate of the bubble-induced normal stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin van Elburg
- Physics of Fluids Group and Technical Medical (TechMed) Center, University of Twente, Enschede, the Netherlands
| | - Joke Deprez
- Laboratory of General Biochemistry and Physical Pharmacy, Ghent Research Group on Nanomedicine, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Martin van den Broek
- BIOS / Lab on a Chip Group, Max-Planck Center Twente for Complex Fluid Dynamics, MESA+ Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Twente, Enschede, Netherlands
| | - Stefaan C De Smedt
- Laboratory of General Biochemistry and Physical Pharmacy, Ghent Research Group on Nanomedicine, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium; Cancer Research Institute Ghent (CRIG), Ghent, Belgium
| | - Michel Versluis
- Physics of Fluids Group and Technical Medical (TechMed) Center, University of Twente, Enschede, the Netherlands
| | - Guillaume Lajoinie
- Physics of Fluids Group and Technical Medical (TechMed) Center, University of Twente, Enschede, the Netherlands
| | - Ine Lentacker
- Laboratory of General Biochemistry and Physical Pharmacy, Ghent Research Group on Nanomedicine, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium; Cancer Research Institute Ghent (CRIG), Ghent, Belgium
| | - Tim Segers
- BIOS / Lab on a Chip Group, Max-Planck Center Twente for Complex Fluid Dynamics, MESA+ Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Twente, Enschede, Netherlands.
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4
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Microbubbles for human diagnosis and therapy. Biomaterials 2023; 294:122025. [PMID: 36716588 DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2023.122025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2022] [Revised: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 01/24/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Microbubbles (MBs) were observed for the first time in vivo as a curious consequence of quick saline injection during ultrasound (US) imaging of the aortic root, more than 50 years ago. From this serendipitous event, MBs are now widely used as contrast enhancers for US imaging. Their intrinsic properties described in this review, allow a multitude of designs, from shell to gas composition but also from grafting targeting agents to drug payload encapsulation. Indeed, the versatile MBs are deeply studied for their dual potential in imaging and therapy. As presented in this paper, new generations of MBs now opens perspectives for targeted molecular imaging along with the development of new US imaging systems. This review also presents an overview of the different therapeutic strategies with US and MBs for cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and inflammation. The overall aim is to overlap those fields in order to find similarities in the MBs application for treatment enhancement associated with US. To conclude, this review explores the new scales of MBs technologies with nanobubbles development, and along concurrent advances in the US imaging field. This review ends by discussing perspectives for the booming future uses of MBs.
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5
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Cai Y, Fan K, Lin J, Ma L, Li F. Advances in BBB on Chip and Application for Studying Reversible Opening of Blood-Brain Barrier by Sonoporation. MICROMACHINES 2022; 14:112. [PMID: 36677173 PMCID: PMC9861620 DOI: 10.3390/mi14010112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2022] [Revised: 12/20/2022] [Accepted: 12/23/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
The complex structure of the blood-brain barrier (BBB), which blocks nearly all large biomolecules, hinders drug delivery to the brain and drug assessment, thus decelerating drug development. Conventional in vitro models of BBB cannot mimic some crucial features of BBB in vivo including a shear stress environment and the interaction between different types of cells. There is a great demand for a new in vitro platform of BBB that can be used for drug delivery studies. Compared with in vivo models, an in vitro platform has the merits of low cost, shorter test period, and simplicity of operation. Microfluidic technology and microfabrication are good tools in rebuilding the BBB in vitro. During the past decade, great efforts have been made to improve BBB penetration for drug delivery using biochemical or physical stimuli. In particular, compared with other drug delivery strategies, sonoporation is more attractive due to its minimized systemic exposure, high efficiency, controllability, and reversible manner. BBB on chips (BOC) holds great promise when combined with sonoporation. More details and mechanisms such as trans-endothelial electrical resistance (TEER) measurements and dynamic opening of tight junctions can be figured out when using sonoporation stimulating BOC, which will be of great benefit for drug development. Herein, we discuss the recent advances in BOC and sonoporation for BBB disruption with this in vitro platform.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yicong Cai
- Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Shenzhen 518107, China
- School of Physics and Optoelectronic Engineering, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Kexin Fan
- School of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen 518172, China
| | - Jiawei Lin
- Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Shenzhen 518107, China
| | - Lin Ma
- School of Physics and Optoelectronic Engineering, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Fenfang Li
- Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Shenzhen 518107, China
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Rajasekar S, Lin DSY, Zhang F, Sotra A, Boshart A, Clotet-Freixas S, Liu A, Hirota JA, Ogawa S, Konvalinka A, Zhang B. Subtractive manufacturing with swelling induced stochastic folding of sacrificial materials for fabricating complex perfusable tissues in multi-well plates. LAB ON A CHIP 2022; 22:1929-1942. [PMID: 35383790 DOI: 10.1039/d1lc01141c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Organ-on-a-chip systems that recapitulate tissue-level functions have been proposed to improve in vitro-in vivo correlation in drug development. Significant progress has been made to control the cellular microenvironment with mechanical stimulation and fluid flow. However, it has been challenging to introduce complex 3D tissue structures due to the physical constraints of microfluidic channels or membranes in organ-on-a-chip systems. Inspired by 4D bioprinting, we develop a subtractive manufacturing technique where a flexible sacrificial material can be patterned on a 2D surface, swell and shape change when exposed to aqueous hydrogel, and subsequently degrade to produce perfusable networks in a natural hydrogel matrix that can be populated with cells. The technique is applied to fabricate organ-specific vascular networks, vascularized kidney proximal tubules, and terminal lung alveoli in a customized 384-well plate and then further scaled to a 24-well plate format to make a large vascular network, vascularized liver tissues, and for integration with ultrasound imaging. This biofabrication method eliminates the physical constraints in organ-on-a-chip systems to incorporate complex ready-to-perfuse tissue structures in an open-well design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shravanthi Rajasekar
- Department of Chemical Engineering, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON, L8S 4L8, Canada.
| | - Dawn S Y Lin
- Department of Chemical Engineering, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON, L8S 4L8, Canada.
| | - Feng Zhang
- School of Biomedical Engineering, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON, L8S 4L8, Canada
| | - Alexander Sotra
- Department of Chemical Engineering, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON, L8S 4L8, Canada.
- School of Biomedical Engineering, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON, L8S 4L8, Canada
| | - Alex Boshart
- Advanced Diagnostics, Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Renal Transplant Program, Soham and Shaila Ajmera Family Transplant Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Sergi Clotet-Freixas
- Advanced Diagnostics, Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Renal Transplant Program, Soham and Shaila Ajmera Family Transplant Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Amy Liu
- Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON, L8S 4L8, Canada
| | - Jeremy A Hirota
- School of Biomedical Engineering, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON, L8S 4L8, Canada
- Department of Medicine, Division of Respirology, McMaster University, 1200 Main St W, Hamilton, ON, L8N 3Z5, Canada
- Firestone Institute for Respiratory Health, St. Joseph's Hospital, Hamilton, ON, L8N 4A6, Canada
| | - Shinichiro Ogawa
- McEwen Stem Cell Institute, University Health Network, MaRS Center, 101 College St, Toronto, Ontario, M5G 1L7, Canada
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, MaRS Center, 101 College St, Toronto, Ontario, M5G 1L7 Canada
- Liver Transplant Program, Soham and Shaila Ajmera Family Transplant Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Ana Konvalinka
- Advanced Diagnostics, Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Renal Transplant Program, Soham and Shaila Ajmera Family Transplant Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, MaRS Center, 101 College St, Toronto, Ontario, M5G 1L7 Canada
- Department of Medicine, Division of Nephrology, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Boyang Zhang
- Department of Chemical Engineering, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON, L8S 4L8, Canada.
- School of Biomedical Engineering, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON, L8S 4L8, Canada
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7
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Protein-conjugated microbubbles for the selective targeting of S. aureus biofilms. Biofilm 2022; 4:100074. [PMID: 35340817 PMCID: PMC8942837 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioflm.2022.100074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2021] [Revised: 03/01/2022] [Accepted: 03/06/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) is an important human pathogen and a common cause of bloodstream infection. The ability of S. aureus to form biofilms, particularly on medical devices, makes treatment difficult, as does its tendency to spread within the body and cause secondary foci of infection. Prolonged courses of intravenous antimicrobial treatment are usually required for serious S. aureus infections. This work investigates the in vitro attachment of microbubbles to S. aureus biofilms via a novel Affimer protein, AClfA1, which targets the clumping factor A (ClfA) virulence factor – a cell-wall anchored protein associated with surface attachment. Microbubbles (MBs) are micron-sized gas-filled bubbles encapsulated by a lipid, polymer, or protein monolayer or other surfactant-based material. Affimers are small (∼12 kDa) heat-stable binding proteins developed as replacements for antibodies. The binding kinetics of AClfA1 against S. aureus ClfA showed strong binding affinity (KD = 62 ± 3 nM). AClfA1 was then shown to bind S. aureus biofilms under flow conditions both as a free ligand and when bound to microparticles (polymer beads or microbubbles). Microbubbles functionalized with AClfA1 demonstrated an 8-fold increase in binding compared to microbubbles functionalized with an identical Affimer scaffold but lacking the recognition groups. Bound MBs were able to withstand flow rates of 250 μL/min. Finally, ultrasound was applied to burst the biofilm bound MBs to determine whether this would lead to biofilm biomass loss or cell death. Application of a 2.25 MHz ultrasound profile (with a peak negative pressure of 0.8 MPa and consisting of a 22-cycle sine wave, at a pulse repetition rate of 10 kHz) for 2 s to a biofilm decorated with targeted MBs, led to a 25% increase in biomass loss and a concomitant 8% increase in dead cell count. The results of this work show that Affimers can be developed to target S. aureus biofilms and that such Affimers can be attached to contrast agents such as microbubbles or polymer beads and offer potential, with some optimization, for drug-free biofilm treatment.
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8
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Zhang Y, Fowlkes JB. Liposomes-based nanoplatform enlarges ultrasound-related diagnostic and therapeutic precision. Curr Med Chem 2021; 29:1331-1341. [PMID: 34348609 DOI: 10.2174/0929867328666210804092624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2021] [Revised: 06/23/2021] [Accepted: 06/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/07/2022]
Abstract
Ultrasound (US) is notable in the medical field as a safe and effective imaging modality due to its lack of ionizing radiation, non-invasive approach, and real-time monitoring capability. Accompanying recent progress in nanomedicine, US has been providing hope of theranostic capability not only for imaging-based diagnosis but also for US-based therapy by taking advantage of the bioeffects induced by US. Cavitation, sonoporation, thermal effects, and other cascade effects stimulated by acoustic energy conversion have contributed to medical problem-solving in the past decades although to varying degrees of efficacy in comparisons to other methods. Recently, the usage of liposomes-based nanoplatform fuels the development of nanomedicine and provides novel clinical strategies for antitumor, thrombolysis, and controlled drug release. Merging of novel liposome-based nanoplatforms and US-induced reactions has promise for a new blueprint for future medicine. In the present review article, the value of liposome-based nanoplatforms in US-related diagnosis and therapy will be discussed and summarized along with potential future directions for further investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Zhang
- Dept. Radiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48109. United States
| | - J Brian Fowlkes
- Dept. Radiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48109. United States
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Hur J, Chung AJ. Microfluidic and Nanofluidic Intracellular Delivery. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2021; 8:e2004595. [PMID: 34096197 PMCID: PMC8336510 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202004595] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2020] [Revised: 04/14/2021] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Innate cell function can be artificially engineered and reprogrammed by introducing biomolecules, such as DNAs, RNAs, plasmid DNAs, proteins, or nanomaterials, into the cytosol or nucleus. This process of delivering exogenous cargos into living cells is referred to as intracellular delivery. For instance, clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-Cas9 gene editing begins with internalizing Cas9 protein and guide RNA into cells, and chimeric antigen receptor-T (CAR-T) cells are prepared by delivering CAR genes into T lymphocytes for cancer immunotherapies. To deliver external biomolecules into cells, tools, including viral vectors, and electroporation have been traditionally used; however, they are suboptimal for achieving high levels of intracellular delivery while preserving cell viability, phenotype, and function. Notably, as emerging solutions, microfluidic and nanofluidic approaches have shown remarkable potential for addressing this open challenge. This review provides an overview of recent advances in microfluidic and nanofluidic intracellular delivery strategies and discusses new opportunities and challenges for clinical applications. Furthermore, key considerations for future efforts to develop microfluidics- and nanofluidics-enabled next-generation intracellular delivery platforms are outlined.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeongsoo Hur
- School of Biomedical EngineeringKorea UniversitySeoul02841Republic of Korea
| | - Aram J. Chung
- School of Biomedical EngineeringInterdisciplinary Program in Precision Public HealthKorea UniversitySeoul02841Republic of Korea
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10
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Construction of cancer-on-a-chip for drug screening. Drug Discov Today 2021; 26:1875-1890. [PMID: 33731317 DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2021.03.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2020] [Revised: 10/16/2020] [Accepted: 03/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Cancer-on-a-chip has effectively contributed to the development of drug screening, holding great promise for more convenient and reliable drug development as well as personalized drug administration.
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11
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Lee CS, Leong KW. Advances in microphysiological blood-brain barrier (BBB) models towards drug delivery. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2020; 66:78-87. [PMID: 32711361 PMCID: PMC7744339 DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2020.06.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2020] [Revised: 06/12/2020] [Accepted: 06/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Though the blood-brain barrier (BBB) is vital for the maintenance of brain homeostasis, it also accounts for a high attrition rate of therapies targeting the central nervous system (CNS). The challenge of delivery across the BBB is attributed to a combination of low permeability through an endothelium closely knit by tight and adherens junctions, extremely low rates of endothelial transcytosis, and efflux transporters. In the past decade, enormous research efforts have been spent to develop BBB penetration strategies using biochemical or physical stimuli, aided by BBB-on-chips or microphysiological BBB models to facilitate in vitro studies. Here, we discuss recent advances in BBB-chip technology that have enabled effective preclinical screenings of brain targeting therapeutics and external stimulation, such as sonoporation and electroporation, for improved BBB penetration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caleb S Lee
- Columbia University, NY, NY, 10027, United States
| | - Kam W Leong
- Columbia University, NY, NY, 10027, United States.
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12
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Fritschen A, Blaeser A. Biosynthetic, biomimetic, and self-assembled vascularized Organ-on-a-Chip systems. Biomaterials 2020; 268:120556. [PMID: 33310539 DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2020.120556] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2020] [Revised: 11/15/2020] [Accepted: 11/18/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Organ-on-a-Chip (OOC) devices have seen major advances in the last years with respect to biological complexity, physiological composition and biomedical relevance. In this context, integration of vasculature has proven to be a crucial element for long-term culture of thick tissue samples as well as for realistic pharmacokinetic, toxicity and metabolic modelling. With the emergence of digital production technologies and the reinvention of existing tools, a multitude of design approaches for guided angio- and vasculogenesis is available today. The underlying production methods can be categorized into biosynthetic, biomimetic and self-assembled vasculature formation. The diversity and importance of production approaches, vascularization strategies as well as biomaterials and cell sourcing are illustrated in this work. A comprehensive technological review with a strong focus on the challenge of producing physiologically relevant vascular structures is given. Finally, the remaining obstacles and opportunities in the development of vascularized Organ-on-a-Chip platforms for advancing drug development and predictive disease modelling are noted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Fritschen
- Institute for BioMedical Printing Technology, Technical University of Darmstadt, Germany.
| | - Andreas Blaeser
- Institute for BioMedical Printing Technology, Technical University of Darmstadt, Germany; Centre for Synthetic Biology, Technical University of Darmstadt, Germany.
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13
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Kooiman K, Roovers S, Langeveld SAG, Kleven RT, Dewitte H, O'Reilly MA, Escoffre JM, Bouakaz A, Verweij MD, Hynynen K, Lentacker I, Stride E, Holland CK. Ultrasound-Responsive Cavitation Nuclei for Therapy and Drug Delivery. ULTRASOUND IN MEDICINE & BIOLOGY 2020; 46:1296-1325. [PMID: 32165014 PMCID: PMC7189181 DOI: 10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2020.01.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 174] [Impact Index Per Article: 43.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2019] [Revised: 12/20/2019] [Accepted: 01/07/2020] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Therapeutic ultrasound strategies that harness the mechanical activity of cavitation nuclei for beneficial tissue bio-effects are actively under development. The mechanical oscillations of circulating microbubbles, the most widely investigated cavitation nuclei, which may also encapsulate or shield a therapeutic agent in the bloodstream, trigger and promote localized uptake. Oscillating microbubbles can create stresses either on nearby tissue or in surrounding fluid to enhance drug penetration and efficacy in the brain, spinal cord, vasculature, immune system, biofilm or tumors. This review summarizes recent investigations that have elucidated interactions of ultrasound and cavitation nuclei with cells, the treatment of tumors, immunotherapy, the blood-brain and blood-spinal cord barriers, sonothrombolysis, cardiovascular drug delivery and sonobactericide. In particular, an overview of salient ultrasound features, drug delivery vehicles, therapeutic transport routes and pre-clinical and clinical studies is provided. Successful implementation of ultrasound and cavitation nuclei-mediated drug delivery has the potential to change the way drugs are administered systemically, resulting in more effective therapeutics and less-invasive treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Klazina Kooiman
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Thoraxcenter, Erasmus MC University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - Silke Roovers
- Ghent Research Group on Nanomedicines, Lab for General Biochemistry and Physical Pharmacy, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Simone A G Langeveld
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Thoraxcenter, Erasmus MC University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Robert T Kleven
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Heleen Dewitte
- Ghent Research Group on Nanomedicines, Lab for General Biochemistry and Physical Pharmacy, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium; Laboratory for Molecular and Cellular Therapy, Medical School of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Jette, Belgium; Cancer Research Institute Ghent (CRIG), Ghent University Hospital, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Meaghan A O'Reilly
- Physical Sciences Platform, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | | | - Ayache Bouakaz
- UMR 1253, iBrain, Université de Tours, Inserm, Tours, France
| | - Martin D Verweij
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Thoraxcenter, Erasmus MC University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands; Laboratory of Acoustical Wavefield Imaging, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Kullervo Hynynen
- Physical Sciences Platform, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Ine Lentacker
- Ghent Research Group on Nanomedicines, Lab for General Biochemistry and Physical Pharmacy, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium; Cancer Research Institute Ghent (CRIG), Ghent University Hospital, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Eleanor Stride
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Engineering Science, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Christy K Holland
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA; Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Cardiovascular Health and Disease, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
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14
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Yuan Z, Demith A, Stoffel R, Zhang Z, Park YC. Light-activated doxorubicin-encapsulated perfluorocarbon nanodroplets for on-demand drug delivery in an in vitro angiogenesis model: Comparison between perfluoropentane and perfluorohexane. Colloids Surf B Biointerfaces 2019; 184:110484. [PMID: 31522023 DOI: 10.1016/j.colsurfb.2019.110484] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2019] [Revised: 08/30/2019] [Accepted: 08/31/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Phase-transition perfluorocarbon (PFC) nanodroplets have been developed for on-demand drug delivery carriers with external triggers such as ultrasound or laser irradiation techniques. Although various perfluorocarbons, including perfluoropentane (C5F12) and perfluorohexane (C6F14), have been investigated for their theranostic use, comparison of the phase-transition efficiency, the drug delivery efficacy by light activation, and physical properties of the PFC nanodroplets have not been reported. We have synthesized gold nanorod-coated doxorubicin-encapsulated perfluorocarbon nanodroplets using perfluoropentane and perfluorohexane as light-activated on-demand drug delivery carriers, called PF5 and PF6, respectively. When gold nanorods on the perfluorocarbon nanodroplets resonate with a laser wavelength, plasmonic heat generated on the gold nanorods vaporizes the nanodroplets to gas bubbles (phase-transition), and releases the encapsulated drug from the nanodroplet core. Overall, the nanodroplet size, drug encapsulation efficiency, number density, and cytotoxicity were similar between PF5 and PF6. However, the long-term stability against passive phase-transition or coalescence in physiological conditions and the phase-transition efficiency were different from each other. PF6 was better in long-term stability but showed lower phase-transition than PF5. The lower phase-transition of PF6 might have led to lower drug delivery efficiency compared to PF5. This is probably because PF6 has higher temperature thresholds required for phase-transition due to its higher boiling point. The study demonstrated feasibility of the light-activated nanodroplets for on-demand targeted nanotherapy, which suppresses the development of angiogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zheng Yuan
- Department of Chemical & Environmental Engineering, College of Engineering & Applied Sciences, USA
| | - Alec Demith
- Medical Sciences Program, College of Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Ryan Stoffel
- Department of Chemical & Environmental Engineering, College of Engineering & Applied Sciences, USA
| | - Zhe Zhang
- Department of Chemical & Environmental Engineering, College of Engineering & Applied Sciences, USA
| | - Yoonjee C Park
- Department of Chemical & Environmental Engineering, College of Engineering & Applied Sciences, USA.
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15
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Roovers S, Deprez J, Priwitaningrum D, Lajoinie G, Rivron N, Declercq H, De Wever O, Stride E, Le Gac S, Versluis M, Prakash J, De Smedt SC, Lentacker I. Sonoprinting liposomes on tumor spheroids by microbubbles and ultrasound. J Control Release 2019; 316:79-92. [PMID: 31676384 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2019.10.051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2019] [Revised: 10/24/2019] [Accepted: 10/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Ultrasound-triggered drug-loaded microbubbles have great potential for drug delivery due to their ability to locally release drugs and simultaneously enhance their delivery into the target tissue. We have recently shown that upon applying ultrasound, nanoparticle-loaded microbubbles can deposit nanoparticles onto cells grown in 2D monolayers, through a process that we termed "sonoprinting". However, the rigid surfaces on which cell monolayers are typically growing might be a source of acoustic reflections and aspherical microbubble oscillations, which can influence microbubble-cell interactions. In the present study, we aim to reveal whether sonoprinting can also occur in more complex and physiologically relevant tissues, by using free-floating 3D tumor spheroids as a tissue model. We show that both monospheroids (consisting of tumor cells alone) and cospheroids (consisting of tumor cells and fibroblasts, which produce an extracellular matrix) can be sonoprinted. Using doxorubicin-liposome-loaded microbubbles, we show that sonoprinting allows to deposit large amounts of doxorubicin-containing liposomes to the outer cell layers of the spheroids, followed by doxorubicin release into the deeper layers of the spheroids, resulting in a significant reduction in cell viability. Sonoprinting may become an attractive approach to deposit drug patches at the surface of tissues, thereby promoting the delivery of drugs into target tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Roovers
- Laboratory of General Biochemistry and Physical Pharmacy, Ghent Research Group on Nanomedicine, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium; Cancer Research Institute Ghent (CRIG), Ghent, Belgium
| | - J Deprez
- Laboratory of General Biochemistry and Physical Pharmacy, Ghent Research Group on Nanomedicine, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium; Cancer Research Institute Ghent (CRIG), Ghent, Belgium
| | - D Priwitaningrum
- Targeted Therapeutics, Department of Biomaterials Science and Technology, MESA+ Institute for Nanotechnology and Technical Medical (TechMed) Center, University of Twente, Enschede, the Netherlands
| | - G Lajoinie
- Physics of Fluids Group, MESA+ Institute for Nanotechnology and Technical Medical (TechMed) Center, University of Twente, Enschede, the Netherlands
| | - N Rivron
- Institute of Molecular Biotechnology, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - H Declercq
- Cancer Research Institute Ghent (CRIG), Ghent, Belgium; Tissue Engineering Group, Department of Human Structure and Repair, Ghent University, Belgium
| | - O De Wever
- Cancer Research Institute Ghent (CRIG), Ghent, Belgium; Laboratory Experimental Cancer Research (LECR), Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - E Stride
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Engineering Science, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - S Le Gac
- Applied Microfluidics for BioEngineering Research, MESA+ Institute for Nanotechnology and Technical Medical (TechMed) Center, University of Twente, Enschede, the Netherlands
| | - M Versluis
- Physics of Fluids Group, MESA+ Institute for Nanotechnology and Technical Medical (TechMed) Center, University of Twente, Enschede, the Netherlands
| | - J Prakash
- Targeted Therapeutics, Department of Biomaterials Science and Technology, MESA+ Institute for Nanotechnology and Technical Medical (TechMed) Center, University of Twente, Enschede, the Netherlands
| | - S C De Smedt
- Laboratory of General Biochemistry and Physical Pharmacy, Ghent Research Group on Nanomedicine, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium; Cancer Research Institute Ghent (CRIG), Ghent, Belgium.
| | - I Lentacker
- Laboratory of General Biochemistry and Physical Pharmacy, Ghent Research Group on Nanomedicine, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium; Cancer Research Institute Ghent (CRIG), Ghent, Belgium
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16
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Duchamp M, Bakht SM, Ju J, Yazdi IK, Zhang W, Zhang YS. Perforated and Endothelialized Elastomeric Tubes for Vascular Modeling. ADVANCED MATERIALS TECHNOLOGIES 2019; 4:1800741. [PMID: 33072853 PMCID: PMC7566655 DOI: 10.1002/admt.201800741] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2018] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
We report the fabrication of a tubular polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) platform containing arrays of small pores on the wall for modeling blood vessels in vitro. The thin PDMS tubes are produced following our previously reported templating approach, while the pores are subsequently generated using focused laser ablation. As such, when these perforated PDMS tube are populated with a monolayer of endothelial cells on the interior surfaces and embedded within an extracellular matrix (ECM)-like environment, the endothelial cells can sprout out from the tubes into the surrounding matrix through the open pores. When a pair of perforated PDMS tubes are placed in parallel in the matrix, formation of an interconnected network of microvasculature or larger vessels occurs, which is dependent on the flow dynamics within the PDMS tubes. Moreover, when co-cultured with tumor spheroids, the onset of tumor angiogenesis is observed. Our perforated and endothelialized PDMS tubes are believed to enable convenient vascular modeling in vitro and will likely contribute to improved biological studies as well as therapeutic screening.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margaux Duchamp
- Division of Engineering in Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Syeda Mahwish Bakht
- Division of Engineering in Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Jie Ju
- Division of Engineering in Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Iman K Yazdi
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Division of Engineering in Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Weijia Zhang
- The Fifth People's Hospital of Shanghai, Institutes of Biomedical Sciences, Shanghai Medical College, and State Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering of Polymers, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, P.R. China
| | - Yu Shrike Zhang
- Division of Engineering in Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
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17
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Gormley CA, Keenan BJ, Buczek-Thomas JA, Pessoa ACSN, Xu J, Monti F, Tabeling P, Holt RG, Nagy JO, Wong JY. Fibrin-Targeted Polymerized Shell Microbubbles as Potential Theranostic Agents for Surgical Adhesions. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2019; 35:10061-10067. [PMID: 30681875 PMCID: PMC6767917 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.8b03692] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
The development of new therapies for surgical adhesions has proven to be difficult as there is no consistently effective way to assess treatment efficacy in clinical trials without performing a second surgery, which can result in additional adhesions. We have developed lipid microbubble formulations that use a short peptide sequence, CREKA, to target fibrin, the molecule that forms nascent adhesions. These targeted polymerized shell microbubbles (PSMs) are designed to allow ultrasound imaging of early adhesions for diagnostic purposes and for evaluating the success of potential treatments in clinical trials while acting as a possible treatment. In this study, we show that CREKA-targeted microbubbles preferentially bind fibrin over fibrinogen and are stable for long periods of time (∼48 h), that these bound microbubbles can be visualized by ultrasound, and that neither these lipid-based bubbles nor their diagnostic-ultrasound-induced vibrations damage mesothelial cells in vitro. Moreover, these bubbles show the potential to identify adhesionlike fibrin formations and may hold promise in blocking or breaking up fibrin formations in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine A. Gormley
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, 44 Cummington Mall, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
| | - Benjamin J. Keenan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, 44 Cummington Mall, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
| | - Jo Ann Buczek-Thomas
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, 44 Cummington Mall, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
| | - Amanda C. S. N. Pessoa
- Laboratoire de Microfluidique, MEMS et Nanostructures, ESPCI Paris, PSL Research University, Institut Pierre Gilles de Gennes (IPGG), CNRS (CBI), 6 rue Jean Calvin, 75005 Paris, France
- School of Chemical Engineering, University of Campinas, UNICAMP, 500 Av Albert Einstein, 13083-852, Campinas, SP, Brazil
| | - Jiang Xu
- Laboratoire de Microfluidique, MEMS et Nanostructures, ESPCI Paris, PSL Research University, Institut Pierre Gilles de Gennes (IPGG), CNRS (CBI), 6 rue Jean Calvin, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Fabrice Monti
- Laboratoire de Microfluidique, MEMS et Nanostructures, ESPCI Paris, PSL Research University, Institut Pierre Gilles de Gennes (IPGG), CNRS (CBI), 6 rue Jean Calvin, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Patrick Tabeling
- Laboratoire de Microfluidique, MEMS et Nanostructures, ESPCI Paris, PSL Research University, Institut Pierre Gilles de Gennes (IPGG), CNRS (CBI), 6 rue Jean Calvin, 75005 Paris, France
| | - R. Glynn Holt
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Boston University, 110 Cummington Mall, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
| | - Jon O. Nagy
- NanoValent Pharmaceuticals Inc., 351-B Evergreen Drive, Bozeman, Montana 59715, United States
| | - Joyce Y. Wong
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, 44 Cummington Mall, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
- Division of Materials Science and Engineering, Boston University, 15 St. Mary’s Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
- Corresponding Author:
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18
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Wang X, Liu Z, Fan F, Hou Y, Yang H, Meng X, Zhang Y, Ren F. Microfluidic chip and its application in autophagy detection. Trends Analyt Chem 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.trac.2019.05.043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
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19
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Shang M, Soon RH, Lim CT, Khoo BL, Han J. Microfluidic modelling of the tumor microenvironment for anti-cancer drug development. LAB ON A CHIP 2019; 19:369-386. [PMID: 30644496 DOI: 10.1039/c8lc00970h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 146] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Cancer is the leading cause of death worldwide. The complex and disorganized tumor microenvironment makes it very difficult to treat this disease. The most common in vitro drug screening method now is based on 2D culture models which poorly represent actual tumors. Therefore, many 3D tumor models which are more physiologically relevant have been developed to conduct in vitro drug screening and alleviate this situation. Among all these models, the microfluidic tumor model has the unique advantage of recapitulating the tumor microenvironment in a comparatively easier and representative fashion. While there are many review papers available on the related topic of microfluidic tumor models, in this review we aim to focus more on the possibility of generating "clinically actionable information" from these microfluidic systems, besides scientific insight. Our topics cover the tumor microenvironment, conventional 2D and 3D cultures, animal models, and microfluidic tumor models, emphasizing their link to anti-cancer drug discovery and personalized medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Menglin Shang
- BioSystems and Micromechanics (BioSyM) IRG, Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART) Centre, 1, Create Way, Enterprise Wing, 138602, Singapore.
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20
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He Z, Ranganathan N, Li P. Evaluating nanomedicine with microfluidics. NANOTECHNOLOGY 2018; 29:492001. [PMID: 30215611 DOI: 10.1088/1361-6528/aae18a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Nanomedicines are engineered nanoscale structures that have an extensive range of application in the diagnosis and therapy of many diseases. Despite the rapid progress in and tremendous potential of nanomedicines, their clinical translational process is still slow, owing to the difficulty in understanding, evaluating, and predicting their behavior in complex living organisms. Microfluidic techniques offer a promising way to resolve these challenges. Carefully designed microfluidic chips enable in vivo microenvironment simulation and high-throughput analysis, thus providing robust platforms for nanomedicine evaluation. Here, we summarize the recent developments and achievements in microfluidic methods for nanomedicine evaluation, categorized into four sections based on their target systems: single cell, multicellular system, organ, and organism levels. Finally, we provide our perspectives on the challenges and future directions of microfluidics-based nanomedicine evaluation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ziyi He
- C. Eugene Bennett Department of Chemistry, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, United States of America
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21
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Pulsipher KW, Hammer DA, Lee D, Sehgal CM. Engineering Theranostic Microbubbles Using Microfluidics for Ultrasound Imaging and Therapy: A Review. ULTRASOUND IN MEDICINE & BIOLOGY 2018; 44:2441-2460. [PMID: 30241729 PMCID: PMC6643280 DOI: 10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2018.07.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2018] [Revised: 07/05/2018] [Accepted: 07/27/2018] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Microbubbles interact with ultrasound in various ways to enable their applications in ultrasound imaging and diagnosis. To generate high contrast and maximize therapeutic efficacy, microbubbles of high uniformity are required. Microfluidic technology, which enables precise control of small volumes of fluid at the sub-millimeter scale, has provided a versatile platform on which to produce highly uniform microbubbles for potential applications in ultrasound imaging and diagnosis. Here, we describe fundamental microfluidic principles and the most common types of microfluidic devices used to produce sub-10 μm microbubbles, appropriate for biomedical ultrasound. Bubbles can be engineered for specific applications by tailoring the bubble size, inner gas and shell composition and by functionalizing for additional imaging modalities, therapeutics or targeting ligands. To translate the laboratory-scale discoveries to widespread clinical use of these microfluidic-based microbubbles, increased bubble production is needed. We present various strategies recently developed to improve scale-up. We conclude this review by describing some outstanding problems in the field and presenting areas for future use of microfluidics in ultrasound.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine W Pulsipher
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, School of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Daniel A Hammer
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, School of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Department of Bioengineering, School of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Daeyeon Lee
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, School of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Chandra M Sehgal
- Department of Radiology, University of Pennsylvania Medical Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
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22
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Snipstad S, Sulheim E, de Lange Davies C, Moonen C, Storm G, Kiessling F, Schmid R, Lammers T. Sonopermeation to improve drug delivery to tumors: from fundamental understanding to clinical translation. Expert Opin Drug Deliv 2018; 15:1249-1261. [PMID: 30415585 DOI: 10.1080/17425247.2018.1547279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Ultrasound in combination with microbubbles can make cells and tissues more accessible for drugs, thereby achieving improved therapeutic outcomes. In this review, we introduce the term 'sonopermeation', covering mechanisms such as pore formation (traditional sonoporation), as well as the opening of intercellular junctions, stimulated endocytosis/transcytosis, improved blood vessel perfusion and changes in the (tumor) microenvironment. Sonopermeation has gained a lot of interest in recent years, especially for delivering drugs through the otherwise impermeable blood-brain barrier, but also to tumors. AREAS COVERED In this review, we summarize various in vitro assays and in vivo setups that have been employed to unravel the fundamental mechanisms involved in ultrasound-enhanced drug delivery, as well as clinical trials that are ongoing in patients with brain, pancreatic, liver and breast cancer. We summarize the basic principles of sonopermeation, describe recent findings obtained in (pre-) clinical trials, and discuss future directions. EXPERT OPINION We suggest that an improved mechanistic understanding, and microbubbles and ultrasound equipment specialized for drug delivery (and not for imaging) are key aspects to create more effective treatment regimens by sonopermeation. Real-time feedback and tools to predict therapeutic outcome and which tumors/patients will benefit from sonopermeation-based interventions will be important to promote clinical translation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sofie Snipstad
- a Department of Physics , Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) , Trondheim , Norway.,b Department of Biotechnology and Nanomedicine , SINTEF AS , Trondheim , Norway.,c Cancer Clinic , St. Olavs Hospital , Trondheim , Norway
| | - Einar Sulheim
- a Department of Physics , Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) , Trondheim , Norway.,b Department of Biotechnology and Nanomedicine , SINTEF AS , Trondheim , Norway.,c Cancer Clinic , St. Olavs Hospital , Trondheim , Norway
| | - Catharina de Lange Davies
- a Department of Physics , Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) , Trondheim , Norway
| | - Chrit Moonen
- d Imaging Division , University Medical Center , Utrecht , The Netherlands
| | - Gert Storm
- e Department of Pharmaceutics , Utrecht University , Utrecht , The Netherlands.,f Department of Targeted Therapeutics , University of Twente , Enschede , The Netherlands
| | - Fabian Kiessling
- g Institute for Experimental Molecular Imaging , RWTH Aachen University , Aachen , Germany
| | - Ruth Schmid
- b Department of Biotechnology and Nanomedicine , SINTEF AS , Trondheim , Norway
| | - Twan Lammers
- e Department of Pharmaceutics , Utrecht University , Utrecht , The Netherlands.,f Department of Targeted Therapeutics , University of Twente , Enschede , The Netherlands.,g Institute for Experimental Molecular Imaging , RWTH Aachen University , Aachen , Germany
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23
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Peruzzi G, Sinibaldi G, Silvani G, Ruocco G, Casciola CM. Perspectives on cavitation enhanced endothelial layer permeability. Colloids Surf B Biointerfaces 2018; 168:83-93. [PMID: 29486912 DOI: 10.1016/j.colsurfb.2018.02.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2017] [Revised: 02/06/2018] [Accepted: 02/11/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Traditional drug delivery systems, where pharmaceutical agents are conveyed to the target tissue through the blood circulation, suffer of poor therapeutic efficiency and limited selectivity largely due to the low permeability of the highly specialised biological interface represented by the endothelial layer. Examples concern cancer therapeutics or degenerative disorders where drug delivery is inhibited by the blood-brain barrier (BBB). Microbubbles injected into the bloodstream undergo volume oscillations under localised ultrasound irradiation and possibly collapse near the site of interest, with no effect on the rest of the endothelium. The resulting mechanical action induces a transient increase of the inter-cellular spaces and facilitates drug extravasation. This approach, already pursed in in vivo animal models, is extremely expensive and time-consuming. On the other hand in vitro studies using different kinds of microfluidic networks are firmly established in the pharmaceutical industry for drug delivery testing. The combination of the in vitro approach with ultrasound used to control microbubbles oscillations is expected to provide crucial information for developing cavitation enhanced drug delivery protocols and for screening the properties of the biological interface in presence of healthy or diseased tissues. Purpose of the present review is providing the state of the art in this rapidly growing field where cavitation is exploited as a viable technology to transiently modify the permeability of the biological interface. After describing current in vivo studies, particular emphasis will be placed on illustrating characteristics of micro-devices, biological functionalisation, properties of the artificial endothelium and ultrasound irradiation techniques.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giovanna Peruzzi
- Center for Life Nano Science@Sapienza, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Rome, Italy
| | - Giorgia Sinibaldi
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy
| | - Giulia Silvani
- Center for Life Nano Science@Sapienza, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Rome, Italy; Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy
| | - Giancarlo Ruocco
- Center for Life Nano Science@Sapienza, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Rome, Italy; Department of Physics, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy.
| | - Carlo Massimo Casciola
- Center for Life Nano Science@Sapienza, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Rome, Italy; Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy
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24
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Caballero D, Blackburn SM, de Pablo M, Samitier J, Albertazzi L. Tumour-vessel-on-a-chip models for drug delivery. LAB ON A CHIP 2017; 17:3760-3771. [PMID: 28861562 DOI: 10.1039/c7lc00574a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Nanocarriers for drug delivery have great potential to revolutionize cancer treatment, due to their enhanced selectivity and efficacy. Despite this great promise, researchers have had limited success in the clinical translation of this approach. One of the main causes of these difficulties is that standard in vitro models, typically used to understand nanocarriers' behaviour and screen their efficiency, do not provide the complexity typically encountered in living systems. In contrast, in vivo models, despite being highly physiological, display serious bottlenecks which threaten the relevancy of the obtained data. Microfluidics and nanofabrication can dramatically contribute to solving this issue, providing 3D high-throughput models with improved resemblance to in vivo systems. In particular, microfluidic models of tumour blood vessels can be used to better elucidate how new nanocarriers behave in the microcirculation of healthy and cancerous tissues. Several key steps of the drug delivery process such as extravasation, immune response and endothelial targeting happen under flow in capillaries and can be accurately modelled using microfluidics. In this review, we will present how tumour-vessel-on-a-chip systems can be used to investigate targeted drug delivery and which key factors need to be considered for the rational design of these materials. Future applications of this approach and its role in driving forward the next generation of targeted drug delivery methods will be discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Caballero
- Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Baldiri Reixac 15-21, 08028 Barcelona, Spain.
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