1
|
Sood A, Kumar A, Gupta VK, Kim CM, Han SS. Translational Nanomedicines Across Human Reproductive Organs Modeling on Microfluidic Chips: State-of-the-Art and Future Prospects. ACS Biomater Sci Eng 2023; 9:62-84. [PMID: 36541361 DOI: 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.2c01080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Forecasting the consequence of nanoparticles (NPs) and therapeutically significant molecules before materializing for human clinical trials is a mainstay for drug delivery and screening processes. One of the noteworthy obstacles that has prevented the clinical translation of NP-based drug delivery systems and novel drugs is the lack of effective preclinical platforms. As a revolutionary technology, the organ-on-a-chip (OOC), a coalition of microfluidics and tissue engineering, has surfaced as an alternative to orthodox screening platforms. OOC technology recapitulates the structural and physiological features of human organs along with intercommunications between tissues on a chip. The current review discusses the concept of microfluidics and confers cutting-edge fabrication processes for chip designing. We also outlined the advantages of microfluidics in analyzing NPs in terms of characterization, transport, and degradation in biological systems. The review further elaborates the scope and research on translational nanomedicines in human reproductive organs (testis, placenta, uterus, and menstrual cycle) by taking the advantages offered by microfluidics and shedding light on their potential future implications. Finally, we accentuate the existing challenges for clinical translation and scale-up dynamics for microfluidics chips and emphasize its future perspectives.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ankur Sood
- School of Chemical Engineering, Yeungnam University, 280 Daehak-ro, Gyeongsan 38541, South Korea
| | - Anuj Kumar
- School of Chemical Engineering, Yeungnam University, 280 Daehak-ro, Gyeongsan 38541, South Korea.,Institute of Cell Culture, Yeungnam University, 280 Daehak-ro, Gyeongsan 38541, South Korea
| | - Vijai Kumar Gupta
- Biorefining and Advanced Materials Research Center, Scotland's Rural College, Edinburgh EH9 3JG, United Kingdom
| | - Chul Min Kim
- Department of Mechatronics Engineering, Gyeongsang National University, 33 Dongjin-ro, Jinju, Gyeongsangnam-do 52725, South Korea
| | - Sung Soo Han
- School of Chemical Engineering, Yeungnam University, 280 Daehak-ro, Gyeongsan 38541, South Korea.,Institute of Cell Culture, Yeungnam University, 280 Daehak-ro, Gyeongsan 38541, South Korea
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Tutty MA, Prina-Mello A. Three-Dimensional Spheroids for Cancer Research. Methods Mol Biol 2023; 2645:65-103. [PMID: 37202612 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3056-3_3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
In vitro cell culture is one of the most widely used tools used today for increasing our understanding of various things such as protein production, mechanisms of drug action, tissue engineering, and overall cellular biology. For the past decades, however, cancer researchers have relied heavily on conventional two-dimensional (2D) monolayer culture techniques to test a variety of aspects of cancer research ranging from the cytotoxic effects of antitumor drugs to the toxicity of diagnostic dyes and contact tracers. However, many promising cancer therapies have either weak or no efficacy in real-life conditions, therefore delaying or stopping altogether their translating to the clinic. This is, in part, due to the reductionist 2D cultures used to test these materials, which lack appropriate cell-cell contacts, have altered signaling, do not represent the natural tumor microenvironment, and have different drug responses, due to their reduced malignant phenotype when compared to real in vivo tumors. With the most recent advances, cancer research has moved into 3D biological investigation. Three-dimensional (3D) cultures of cancer cells not only recapitulate the in vivo environment better than their 2D counterparts, but they have, in recent years, emerged as a relatively low-cost and scientifically accurate methodology for studying cancer. In this chapter, we highlight the importance of 3D culture, specifically 3D spheroid culture, reviewing some key methodologies for forming 3D spheroids, discussing the experimental tools that can be used in conjunction with 3D spheroids and finally their applications in cancer research.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Melissa Anne Tutty
- Laboratory for Biological Characterization of Advanced Materials (LBCAM), Trinity Translational Medicine Institute, Trinity Centre for Health Sciences, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.
| | - Adriele Prina-Mello
- Laboratory for Biological Characterization of Advanced Materials (LBCAM), Trinity Translational Medicine Institute, Trinity Centre for Health Sciences, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
- Nanomedicine and Molecular Imaging Group, Trinity Translational Medicine Institute, (TTMI), School of Medicine, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
- Trinity St. James's Cancer Institute, St. James's Hospital, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
- Advanced Materials and Bioengineering Research (AMBER) Centre, CRANN Institute, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Compera N, Atwell S, Wirth J, Wolfrum B, Meier M. Upscaling of pneumatic membrane valves for the integration of 3D cell cultures on chip. LAB ON A CHIP 2021; 21:2986-2996. [PMID: 34143169 PMCID: PMC8314520 DOI: 10.1039/d1lc00194a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2021] [Accepted: 04/08/2021] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
Microfluidic large-scale integration (mLSI) technology enables the automation of two-dimensional (2D) cell culture processes in a highly parallel manner. Despite the wide range of biological applications of mLSI chips, manufacturing limitations of the central functional element, the pneumatic membrane valve (PMV), make the technology inaccessible for integrating tissue cultures and organoids with dimensions larger than tens of microns. In this study, we developed microtechnology processes to upscale PMVs for mLSI chips by combining 3D printing and soft lithography. Therefore, we developed a robust soft lithography protocol for the production of polydimethylsiloxane chips with PMVs from 3D-printed acrylate and wax molds. While scaled-up PMVs manufactured from acrylate-printed molds exhibited channel profiles with staircases, owing to the inherent 3D stereolithography printing process, PMVs manufactured from reflowed wax molds exhibited a semi-half-rounded channel profile. PMVs with different channel profiles showed closing pressures between 130 and 22.5 kPa, respectively. We demonstrated the functionality of the scaled-up PMVs by forming and maintaining 3D cell cultures from mouse fibroblasts (NIH3T3), human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs), and human adipose-derived adult stem cells (hASCs), with a narrow size distribution between 124 and 136 μm. Further, parallel and serial design of PMVs on an mLSI chip is used to first form and culture 3D cell cultures before fusing them within a defined flow process. Unit cell designs with upscaled PMVs enabled parallel formation, culturing, trapping, retrieval, and fusion of 3D cell cultures. Thus, the presented additive manufacturing strategy for mLSI chips will foster new developments for highly parallel 3D cell culture screening applications.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nina Compera
- Helmholtz Pioneer Campus, Helmholtz Zentrum München GmbH, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Munich, Germany.
| | - Scott Atwell
- Helmholtz Pioneer Campus, Helmholtz Zentrum München GmbH, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Munich, Germany.
| | - Johannes Wirth
- Helmholtz Pioneer Campus, Helmholtz Zentrum München GmbH, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Munich, Germany.
| | - Bernhard Wolfrum
- Neuroelectronics - Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Technical University of Munich, Germany
| | - Matthias Meier
- Helmholtz Pioneer Campus, Helmholtz Zentrum München GmbH, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Munich, Germany. and TUM School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Liu W, Hu R, Han K, Sun M, Liu D, Zhang J, Wang J. Parallel and large-scale antitumor investigation using stable chemical gradient and heterotypic three-dimensional tumor coculture in a multi-layered microfluidic device. Biotechnol J 2021; 16:e2000655. [PMID: 34218506 DOI: 10.1002/biot.202000655] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2021] [Revised: 06/24/2021] [Accepted: 07/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cancer has been responsible for a large number of human deaths in the 21st century. Establishing a controllable, biomimetic, and large-scale analytical platform to investigate the tumor-associated pathophysiological and preclinical events, such as oncogenesis and chemotherapy, is necessary. METHODS AND RESULTS This study presents antitumor investigation in a parallel, large-scale, and tissue-mimicking manner based on well-constructed chemical gradients and heterotypic three-dimensional (3D) tumor cocultures using a multifunction-integrated device. The integrated microfluidic device was engineered to produce a controllable and steady chemical gradient by manipulative optimization. Array-like and size-homogeneous production of heterotypic 3D tumor cocultures with in vivo-like features, including similar tumor-stromal composition and functional phenotypic gradients of metabolic activity and viability, was successfully established. Furthermore, temporal, parallel, and high-throughput analyses of tumor behaviors in different antitumor stimulations were performed in a device based on the integrated operations involving gradient generation and coculture. CONCLUSION This achievement holds great potential for applications in the establishment of multifunctional tumor platforms to perform tissue-biomimetic neoplastic research and therapy assessment in the fields of oncology, bioengineering, and drug discovery.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wenming Liu
- School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.,College of Chemistry and Pharmacy, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
| | - Rui Hu
- School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Kai Han
- School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Meilin Sun
- School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Dan Liu
- School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Jinwei Zhang
- School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Jinyi Wang
- College of Chemistry and Pharmacy, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Kang SM, Kim D, Lee JH, Takayama S, Park JY. Engineered Microsystems for Spheroid and Organoid Studies. Adv Healthc Mater 2021; 10:e2001284. [PMID: 33185040 PMCID: PMC7855453 DOI: 10.1002/adhm.202001284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2020] [Revised: 10/01/2020] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
3D in vitro model systems such as spheroids and organoids provide an opportunity to extend the physiological understanding using recapitulated tissues that mimic physiological characteristics of in vivo microenvironments. Unlike 2D systems, 3D in vitro systems can bridge the gap between inadequate 2D cultures and the in vivo environments, providing novel insights on complex physiological mechanisms at various scales of organization, ranging from the cellular, tissue-, to organ-levels. To satisfy the ever-increasing need for highly complex and sophisticated systems, many 3D in vitro models with advanced microengineering techniques have been developed to answer diverse physiological questions. This review summarizes recent advances in engineered microsystems for the development of 3D in vitro model systems. The relationship between the underlying physics behind the microengineering techniques, and their ability to recapitulate distinct 3D cellular structures and functions of diverse types of tissues and organs are highlighted and discussed in detail. A number of 3D in vitro models and their engineering principles are also introduced. Finally, current limitations are summarized, and perspectives for future directions in guiding the development of 3D in vitro model systems using microengineering techniques are provided.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sung-Min Kang
- Department of Green Chemical Engineering, Sangmyung University, Cheonan, Chungnam, 31066, Republic of Korea
| | - Daehan Kim
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, 06974, Republic of Korea
| | - Ji-Hoon Lee
- Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA
- The Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA
| | - Shuichi Takayama
- Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA
- The Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA
| | - Joong Yull Park
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, 06974, Republic of Korea
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Roberge CL, Kingsley DM, Faulkner DE, Sloat CJ, Wang L, Barroso M, Intes X, Corr DT. Non-Destructive Tumor Aggregate Morphology and Viability Quantification at Cellular Resolution, During Development and in Response to Drug. Acta Biomater 2020; 117:322-334. [PMID: 33007490 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2020.09.042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2020] [Revised: 09/15/2020] [Accepted: 09/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Three-dimensional (3D) tissue-engineered in vitro models, particularly multicellular spheroids and organoids, have become important tools to explore disease progression and guide the development of novel therapeutic strategies. These avascular constructs are particularly powerful in oncological research due to their ability to mimic several key aspects of in vivo tumors, such as 3D structure and pathophysiologic gradients. Advancement of spheroid models requires characterization of critical features (i.e., size, shape, cellular density, and viability) during model development, and in response to treatment. However, evaluation of these characteristics longitudinally, quantitatively and non-invasively remains a challenge. Herein, Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) is used as a label-free tool to assess 3D morphologies and cellular densities of tumor spheroids generated via the liquid overlay technique. We utilize this quantitative tool to assess Matrigel's influence on spheroid morphologic development, finding that the absence of Matrigel produces flattened, disk-like aggregates rather than 3D spheroids with physiologically-relevant features. Furthermore, this technology is adapted to quantify cell number within tumor spheroids, and to discern between live and dead cells, to non-destructively provide valuable information on tissue/construct viability, as well as a proof-of-concept for longitudinal drug efficacy studies. Together, these findings demonstrate OCT as a promising noninvasive, quantitative, label-free, longitudinal and cell-based method that can assess development and drug response in 3D cellular aggregates at a mesoscopic scale.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Cassandra L Roberge
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 110 Eighth St., Troy, NY 12180, USA.
| | - David M Kingsley
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 110 Eighth St., Troy, NY 12180, USA.
| | - Denzel E Faulkner
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 110 Eighth St., Troy, NY 12180, USA.
| | - Charles J Sloat
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 110 Eighth St., Troy, NY 12180, USA.
| | - Ling Wang
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Albany Medical College, Albany, NY, 12208, USA.
| | - Margarida Barroso
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Albany Medical College, Albany, NY, 12208, USA.
| | - Xavier Intes
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 110 Eighth St., Troy, NY 12180, USA.
| | - David T Corr
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 110 Eighth St., Troy, NY 12180, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Liu W, Liu D, Hu R, Huang Z, Sun M, Han K. An integrated microfluidic 3D tumor system for parallel and high-throughput chemotherapy evaluation. Analyst 2020; 145:6447-6455. [PMID: 33043931 DOI: 10.1039/d0an01229g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The development of a microplatform with multifunctional integration allowing the dynamic and high-throughput exploration of three-dimensional (3D) cultures is promising for biomedical research. Here, we introduce an integrated microfluidic 3D tumor system with pneumatic manipulation and chemical gradient generation to investigate anticancer therapy in a parallel, controllable, dynamic, and high-throughput manner. The stability of the microfluidic system to realize precise and long-term chemical gradient production was developed. Serial manipulations including active cell trapping, array-like tumor self-assembly and formation, reliable gradient generation, parallel multi-concentration drug stimulation, and real-time tumor analysis were achieved in a single microfluidic device. The microfluidic platform was demonstrated to be stable for high-throughput cell trapping and 3D tumor formation with uniform quantities. On-chip analysis of phenotypic tumor responses to diverse chemotherapies with different concentrations can be conducted in this device. The microfluidic advancement holds great potential for applications in the development of high-performance and multi-functional biomimetic tumor systems and in the fields of cancer research and pharmaceutical development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wenming Liu
- Department of Pathology, School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410013, China.
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
8
|
Henslee EA, Dunlop CM, de Mel CM, Carter EA, Abdallat RG, Camelliti P, Labeed FH. DEP-Dots for 3D cell culture: low-cost, high-repeatability, effective 3D cell culture in multiple gel systems. Sci Rep 2020; 10:14603. [PMID: 32884022 PMCID: PMC7471335 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-71265-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2020] [Accepted: 07/13/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
It is known that cells grown in 3D are more tolerant to drug treatment than those grown in dispersion, but the mechanism for this is still not clear; cells grown in 3D have opportunities to develop inter-cell communication, but are also closely packed which may impede diffusion. In this study we examine methods for dielectrophoresis-based cell aggregation of both suspension and adherent cell lines, and compare the effect of various drugs on cells grown in 3D and 2D. Comparing viability of pharmacological interventions on 3D cell clusters against both suspension cells and adherent cells grown in monolayer, as well as against a unicellular organism with no propensity for intracellular communication, we suggest that 3D aggregates of adherent cells, compared to suspension cells, show a substantially different drug response to cells grown in monolayer, which increases as the IC50 is approached. Further, a mathematical model of the system for each agent demonstrates that changes to drug response are due to inherent changes in the system of adherent cells from the 2D to 3D state. Finally, differences in the electrophysiological membrane properties of the adherent cell type suggest this parameter plays an important role in the differences found in the 3D drug response.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Erin A Henslee
- Centre for Biomedical Engineering, Department of Mechanical Engineering Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford, GU2 7XH, Surrey, UK.,Department of Engineering, Wake Forest University, Wake Downtown, Winston-Salem, NC, 27109, USA
| | - Carina M Dunlop
- Department of Mathematics, University of Surrey, Guildford, GU2 7XH, Surrey, UK
| | - Christine M de Mel
- Centre for Biomedical Engineering, Department of Mechanical Engineering Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford, GU2 7XH, Surrey, UK
| | - Emily A Carter
- Centre for Biomedical Engineering, Department of Mechanical Engineering Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford, GU2 7XH, Surrey, UK
| | - Rula G Abdallat
- Centre for Biomedical Engineering, Department of Mechanical Engineering Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford, GU2 7XH, Surrey, UK.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, The Hashemite University, PO Box 330127, Zarqa, 13133, Jordan
| | - Patrizia Camelliti
- School of Biosciences and Medicine, University of Surrey, Guildford, GU2 7XH, Surrey, UK
| | - Fatima H Labeed
- Centre for Biomedical Engineering, Department of Mechanical Engineering Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford, GU2 7XH, Surrey, UK.
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Salehi SS, Shamloo A, Hannani SK. Microfluidic technologies to engineer mesenchymal stem cell aggregates-applications and benefits. Biophys Rev 2020; 12:123-133. [PMID: 31953794 PMCID: PMC7040154 DOI: 10.1007/s12551-020-00613-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2019] [Accepted: 01/07/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Three-dimensional cell culture and the forming multicellular aggregates are superior over traditional monolayer approaches due to better mimicking of in vivo conditions and hence functions of a tissue. A considerable amount of attention has been devoted to devising efficient methods for the rapid formation of uniform-sized multicellular aggregates. Microfluidic technology describes a platform of techniques comprising microchannels to manipulate the small number of reagents with unique properties and capabilities suitable for biological studies. The focus of this review is to highlight recent studies of using microfluidics, especially droplet-based types for the formation, culture, and harvesting of mesenchymal stem cell aggregates and their subsequent application in stem cell biology, tissue engineering, and drug screening. Droplet-based microfluidics can be used to form microgels as carriers for delivering cells and to provide biological cues to the target tissue so as to be minimally invasive. Stem cell-laden microgels with a shape-forming property can be used as smart building blocks by injecting them into the injured tissue thereby constituting the cornerstone of tissue regeneration.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Amir Shamloo
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Sharif University of Technology, Tehran, Iran.
| | | |
Collapse
|
10
|
Li Z, Guo X, Sun L, Xu J, Liu W, Li T, Wang J. A simple microsphere‐based mold to rapidly fabricate microwell arrays for multisize 3D tumor culture. Biotechnol Bioeng 2020; 117:1092-1100. [DOI: 10.1002/bit.27257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2019] [Revised: 11/21/2019] [Accepted: 12/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Zixiu Li
- College of Chemistry & Pharmacy Northwest A&F University Yangling Shaanxi P. R. China
| | - Xiaofang Guo
- College of Chemistry & Pharmacy Northwest A&F University Yangling Shaanxi P. R. China
| | - Lili Sun
- College of Chemistry & Pharmacy Northwest A&F University Yangling Shaanxi P. R. China
| | - Juan Xu
- College of Chemistry & Pharmacy Northwest A&F University Yangling Shaanxi P. R. China
| | - Wenming Liu
- School of Basic Medical Science Central South University Changsha Hunan P. R. China
| | - Tianbao Li
- College of Chemistry & Pharmacy Northwest A&F University Yangling Shaanxi P. R. China
| | - Jinyi Wang
- College of Chemistry & Pharmacy Northwest A&F University Yangling Shaanxi P. R. China
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Khot MI, Levenstein M, Kapur N, Jayne D. A Review on the Recent Advancement in “Tumour Spheroids-on-a-Chip”. JOURNAL OF CANCER RESEARCH AND PRACTICE 2019. [DOI: 10.4103/jcrp.jcrp_23_18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
|
12
|
|
13
|
Faber SC, McCullough SD. Through the Looking Glass: In Vitro Models for Inhalation Toxicology and Interindividual Variability in the Airway. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2018; 4:115-128. [PMID: 31380467 DOI: 10.1089/aivt.2018.0002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
With 7 million deaths reported annually from air pollution alone, it is evident that adverse effects of inhaled toxicant exposures remain a major public health concern in the 21st century. Assessment and characterization of the impacts of air pollutants on human health stems from epidemiological and clinical studies, which have linked both outdoor and indoor air contaminant exposure to adverse pulmonary and cardiovascular health outcomes. Studies in animal models support epidemiological findings and have been critical in identifying systemic effects of environmental chemicals on cognitive abilities, liver disease, and metabolic dysfunction following inhalation exposure. Likewise, traditional monoculture systems have aided in identifying biomarkers of susceptibility to inhaled toxicants and served as a screening platform for safety assessment of pulmonary toxicants. Despite their contributions, in vivo and classic in vitro models have not been able to accurately represent the heterogeneity of the human population and account for interindividual variability in response to inhaled toxicants and susceptibility to the adverse health effects. Development of new technologies that can investigate genetic predisposition, are cost and time efficient, and are ethically sound, will enhance elucidation of mechanisms of inhalation toxicity, and aid in the development of novel pharmaceuticals and/or safety evaluation. This review will describe the classic and novel cell-based inhalation toxicity models and how these emerging technologies can be incorporated into regulatory or nonregulatory testing to address interindividual variability and improve overall human health.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Samantha C Faber
- Curriculum in Toxicology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Shaun D McCullough
- National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory, US Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Challenges in Bio-fabrication of Organoid Cultures. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2018; 1107:53-71. [DOI: 10.1007/5584_2018_216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
|
15
|
Rothbauer M, Zirath H, Ertl P. Recent advances in microfluidic technologies for cell-to-cell interaction studies. LAB ON A CHIP 2018; 18:249-270. [PMID: 29143053 DOI: 10.1039/c7lc00815e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 178] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Microfluidic cell cultures are ideally positioned to become the next generation of in vitro diagnostic tools for biomedical research, where key biological processes such as cell signalling and dynamic cell-to-cell interactions can be reliably analysed under reproducible physiological cell culture conditions. In the last decade, a large number of microfluidic cell analysis systems have been developed for a variety of applications including drug target optimization, drug screening and toxicological testing. More recently, advanced in vitro microfluidic cell culture systems have emerged that are capable of replicating the complex three-dimensional architectures of tissues and organs and thus represent valid biological models for investigating the mechanism and function of human tissue structures, as well as studying the onset and progression of diseases such as cancer. In this review, we present the most important developments in single-cell, 2D and 3D microfluidic cell culture systems for studying cell-to-cell interactions published over the last 6 years, with a focus on cancer research and immunotherapy, vascular models and neuroscience. In addition, the current technological development of microdevices with more advanced physiological cell microenvironments that integrate multiple organ models, namely, the so-called body-, human- and multi-organ-on-a-chip, is reviewed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mario Rothbauer
- Vienna University of Technology, Faculty of Technical Chemistry, Institute of Applied Synthetic Chemistry, Getreidemarkt 9, 1060 Vienna, Austria.
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
16
|
Jaiswal D, Cowley N, Bian Z, Zheng G, Claffey KP, Hoshino K. Stiffness analysis of 3D spheroids using microtweezers. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0188346. [PMID: 29166651 PMCID: PMC5699838 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0188346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2017] [Accepted: 11/06/2017] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
We describe a novel mechanical characterization method that has directly measured the stiffness of cancer spheroids for the first time to our knowledge. Stiffness is known to be a key parameter that characterizes cancerous and normal cells. Atomic force microscopy or optical tweezers have been typically used for characterization of single cells with the measurable forces ranging from sub pN to a few hundred nN, which are not suitable for measurement of larger 3D cellular structures such as spheroids, whose mechanical characteristics have not been fully studied. Here, we developed microtweezers that measure forces from sub hundred nN to mN. The wide force range was achieved by the use of replaceable cantilevers fabricated from SU8, and brass. The chopstick-like motion of the two cantilevers facilitates easy handling of samples and microscopic observation for mechanical characterization. The cantilever bending was optically tracked to find the applied force and sample stiffness. The efficacy of the method was demonstrated through stiffness measurement of agarose pillars with known concentrations. Following the initial system evaluation with agarose, two cancerous (T47D and BT474) and one normal epithelial (MCF 10A) breast cell lines were used to conduct multi-cellular spheroid measurements to find Young’s moduli of 230, 420 and 1250 Pa for BT474, T47D, and MCF 10A, respectively. The results showed that BT474 and T47D spheroids are six and three times softer than epithelial MCF10A spheroids, respectively. Our method successfully characterized samples with wide range of Young’s modulus including agarose (25–100 kPa), spheroids of cancerous and non-malignant cells (190–200 μm, 230–1250 Pa) and collagenase-treated spheroids (215 μm, 130 Pa).
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Devina Jaiswal
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - Norah Cowley
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - Zichao Bian
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - Guoan Zheng
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - Kevin P. Claffey
- Department of Cell Biology, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - Kazunori Hoshino
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Enhanced Osteogenic Differentiation Potential of Stem-Cell Spheroids Created From a Coculture of Stem Cells and Endothelial Cells. IMPLANT DENT 2017; 26:922-928. [PMID: 29111993 DOI: 10.1097/id.0000000000000685] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE This study was performed to fabricate stem-cell spheroids formed with human gingiva-derived stem cells and endothelial cells and to evaluate their viability and osteogenic differentiation potential. MATERIALS AND METHODS Gingiva-derived stem cells were isolated, and stem cells and endothelial cells with a total of 6 × 10 cells were seeded into concave micromolds with different ratios of 6:0 (group 1), 4:2 (group 2), 3:3 (group 3), and 2:4 (group 4). RESULTS Gingiva-derived stem cells and/or endothelia cells formed spheroids in concave microwells. There was a decreasing trend in the diameter of spheroids with increasing amounts of endothelial cells, but there were no statistically significant differences between the groups. The secretion of vascular endothelial growth factor from the spheroids was noted. The results of the alkaline phosphatase activity assays showed significantly higher values for groups 2, 3, and 4 when compared with the value of group 1. CONCLUSIONS Conclusively, stem-cell spheroids formed with human gingiva-derived stem cells and endothelial cells using concave microwells enhanced osteogenic differentiation potential, and multicell spheroid-based cell delivery could be a simple and effective strategy for improving stem-cell therapy.
Collapse
|
18
|
Gupta SK, Torrico Guzmán EA, Meenach SA. Coadministration of a tumor-penetrating peptide improves the therapeutic efficacy of paclitaxel in a novel air-grown lung cancer 3D spheroid model. Int J Cancer 2017; 141:2143-2153. [PMID: 28771722 DOI: 10.1002/ijc.30913] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2017] [Revised: 07/06/2017] [Accepted: 07/20/2017] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Three-dimensional (3 D) cell culture platforms are increasingly being used in cancer research and drug development since they mimic avascular tumors in vitro. In this study, we focused on the development of a novel air-grown multicellular spheroid (MCS) model to mimic in vivo tumors for understanding lung cancer biology and improvement in the evaluation of aerosol anticancer therapeutics. 3 D MCS were formed using A549 lung adenocarcinoma cells, comprising cellular heterogeneity with respect to different proliferative and metabolic gradients. The growth kinetics, morphology and 3 D structure of air-grown MCS were characterized by brightfield, fluorescent and scanning electron microscopy. MCS demonstrated a significant decrease in growth when the tumor-penetrating peptide iRGD and paclitaxel (PTX) were coadministered as compared with PTX alone. It was also found that when treated with both iRGD and PTX, A549 MCS exhibited an increase in apoptosis and decrease in clonogenic survival capacity in contrast to PTX treatment alone. This study demonstrated that coadministration of iRGD resulted in the improvement of the tumor penetration ability of PTX in an in vitro A549 3 D MCS model. In addition, this is the first time a high-throughput air-grown lung cancer tumor spheroid model has been developed and evaluated.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sweta K Gupta
- Department of Chemical Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI
| | - Elisa A Torrico Guzmán
- Department of Chemical Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI
| | - Samantha A Meenach
- Department of Chemical Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI.,Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Cui X, Hartanto Y, Zhang H. Advances in multicellular spheroids formation. J R Soc Interface 2017; 14:20160877. [PMID: 28202590 PMCID: PMC5332573 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2016.0877] [Citation(s) in RCA: 292] [Impact Index Per Article: 41.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2016] [Accepted: 01/11/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Three-dimensional multicellular spheroids (MCSs) have a complex architectural structure, dynamic cell-cell/cell-matrix interactions and bio-mimicking in vivo microenvironment. As a fundamental building block for tissue reconstruction, MCSs have emerged as a powerful tool to narrow down the gap between the in vitro and in vivo model. In this review paper, we discussed the structure and biology of MCSs and detailed fabricating methods. Among these methods, the approach in microfluidics with hydrogel support for MCS formation is promising because it allows essential cell-cell/cell-matrix interactions in a confined space.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- X Cui
- School of Chemical Engineering, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia 5005, Australia
| | - Y Hartanto
- School of Chemical Engineering, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia 5005, Australia
| | - H Zhang
- School of Chemical Engineering, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia 5005, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Liu W, Tian C, Yan M, Zhao L, Ma C, Li T, Xu J, Wang J. Heterotypic 3D tumor culture in a reusable platform using pneumatic microfluidics. LAB ON A CHIP 2016; 16:4106-4120. [PMID: 27714003 DOI: 10.1039/c6lc00996d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
The construction of a micro-platform capable of microscale control for continuous, dynamic, and high-throughput biomimetic tumor manipulation and analysis plays a significant role in biological and clinical research. Here, we introduce a pneumatic microstructure-based microfluidic platform for versatile three-dimensional (3D) tumor cultures. The manipulative potential of pneumatic microstructures in a fabrication-optimized microfluidic device can be stimulated to achieve ultra-repetitive (tens of thousands of times) and persistent (over several months) microfluidic control. We demonstrated that the microfluidic platform is reusable (dozens of times) for stable, reproducible, and high-throughput generation of tumors with uniform size. Various heterotypic and homotypic 3D tumor arrays can be produced successfully in the device based on robust pneumatic control. On-chip monitoring and analysis of tumor phenotypes and responses to different culture conditions and chemotherapies were also achieved in real-time in the microfluidic platform. The results indicate that fibroblasts cocultured with tumor cells positively promote the phenotypical appearance of heterotypic tumors. This microfluidic advancement offers a new methodological approach for the development of high-performance and non-disposable 3D culture systems and for tissue-mimicking cancer research. We believe that it could be valuable for various tumor-related research fields such as oncology, pharmacology, tissue engineering, and bioimaging.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wenming Liu
- College of Science, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China.
| | - Chang Tian
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Mingming Yan
- College of Science, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China.
| | - Lei Zhao
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Chao Ma
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Tianbao Li
- College of Science, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China.
| | - Juan Xu
- College of Science, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China.
| | - Jinyi Wang
- College of Science, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China. and College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Alhasan L, Qi A, Al-Abboodi A, Rezk A, Chan PP, Iliescu C, Yeo LY. Rapid Enhancement of Cellular Spheroid Assembly by Acoustically Driven Microcentrifugation. ACS Biomater Sci Eng 2016; 2:1013-1022. [DOI: 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.6b00144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Layla Alhasan
- Biotechnology & Biological Sciences, School of Applied Science, RMIT University, Melbourne, Victoria 3000, Australia
| | - Aisha Qi
- Micro/Nanophysics
Research Laboratory, RMIT University, Melbourne, Victoria 3000, Australia
| | - Aswan Al-Abboodi
- Department
of Chemical Engineering, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
| | - Amgad Rezk
- Micro/Nanophysics
Research Laboratory, RMIT University, Melbourne, Victoria 3000, Australia
| | - Peggy P.Y. Chan
- Micro/Nanophysics
Research Laboratory, RMIT University, Melbourne, Victoria 3000, Australia
- Department
of Biomedical Engineering, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, Victoria 3122, Australia
| | - Ciprian Iliescu
- Institute
of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, A*STAR, Singapore 138669, Singapore
| | - Leslie Y. Yeo
- Micro/Nanophysics
Research Laboratory, RMIT University, Melbourne, Victoria 3000, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Meenach SA, Tsoras AN, McGarry RC, Mansour HM, Hilt JZ, Anderson KW. Development of three-dimensional lung multicellular spheroids in air- and liquid-interface culture for the evaluation of anticancer therapeutics. Int J Oncol 2016; 48:1701-9. [PMID: 26846376 PMCID: PMC4777598 DOI: 10.3892/ijo.2016.3376] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2015] [Accepted: 01/21/2016] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Three-dimensional (3D) lung multicellular spheroids (MCS) in liquid-covered culture (LCC) and air-interface culture (AIC) conditions have both been developed for the evaluation of aerosol anticancer therapeutics in solution and aerosols, respectively. The MCS were formed by seeding lung cancer cells on top of collagen where they formed spheroids due to the prevalence of cell-to-cell interactions. LCC MCS were exposed to paclitaxel (PTX) in media whereas AIC MCS were exposed to dry powder PEGylated phospholipid aerosol microparticles containing paclitaxel. The difference in viability for 2D versus 3D culture for both LCC and AIC was evaluated along with the effects of the particles on lung epithelium via transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER) measurements. For LCC and AIC conditions, the 3D spheroids were more resistant to treatment with higher IC50 values for A549 and H358 cell lines. TEER results initially indicated a decrease in resistance upon drug or particle exposure, however, these values increased over the course of several days indicating the ability of the cells to recover. Overall, these studies offer a comprehensive in vitro evaluation of aerosol particles used in the treatment of lung cancer while introducing a new method for culturing lung cancer MCS in both LCC and AIC conditions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Samantha A Meenach
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences - Drug Development Division, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40536, USA
| | - Alexandra N Tsoras
- Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Kentucky, College of Engineering, Lexington, KY 40506, USA
| | - Ronald C McGarry
- Department of Radiation Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40536, USA
| | - Heidi M Mansour
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences - Drug Development Division, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40536, USA
| | - J Zach Hilt
- Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Kentucky, College of Engineering, Lexington, KY 40506, USA
| | - Kimberly W Anderson
- Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Kentucky, College of Engineering, Lexington, KY 40506, USA
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
A Microfluidic Device for Hydrodynamic Trapping and Manipulation Platform of a Single Biological Cell. APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL 2016. [DOI: 10.3390/app6020040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
|
24
|
Lee GH, Lee JS, Wang X, Hoon Lee S. Bottom-Up Engineering of Well-Defined 3D Microtissues Using Microplatforms and Biomedical Applications. Adv Healthc Mater 2016; 5:56-74. [PMID: 25880830 DOI: 10.1002/adhm.201500107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2015] [Revised: 03/17/2015] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
During the last decades, the engineering of well-defined 3D tissues has attracted great attention because it provides in vivo mimicking environment and can be a building block for the engineering of bioartificial organs. In this Review, diverse engineering methods of 3D tissues using microscale devices are introduced. Recent progress of microtechnologies has enabled the development of microplatforms for bottom-up assembly of diverse shaped 3D tissues consisting of various cells. Micro hanging-drop plates, microfluidic chips, and arrayed microwells are the typical examples. The encapsulation of cells in hydrogel microspheres and microfibers allows the engineering of 3D microtissues with diverse shapes. Applications of 3D microtissues in biomedical fields are described, and the future direction of microplatform-based engineering of 3D micro-tissues is discussed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Geon Hui Lee
- KU-KIST Graduate School of Converging, Science and Technology; Korea University; Seoul 136-701 Republic of Korea
| | - Jae Seo Lee
- KU-KIST Graduate School of Converging, Science and Technology; Korea University; Seoul 136-701 Republic of Korea
| | - Xiaohong Wang
- Center of Organ Manufacturing; Department of Mechanical Engineering; Tsinghua University; Beijing 100084 P. R. China
| | - Sang Hoon Lee
- School of Biomedical Engineering; College of Health Science; Korea University; Seoul 136-701 Republic of Korea
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Yamada M, Hori A, Sugaya S, Yajima Y, Utoh R, Yamato M, Seki M. Cell-sized condensed collagen microparticles for preparing microengineered composite spheroids of primary hepatocytes. LAB ON A CHIP 2015; 15:3941-51. [PMID: 26308935 DOI: 10.1039/c5lc00785b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
The reconstitution of extracellular matrix (ECM) components in three-dimensional (3D) cell culture environments with microscale precision is a challenging issue. ECM microparticles would potentially be useful as solid particulate scaffolds that can be incorporated into 3D cellular constructs, but technologies for transforming ECM proteins into cell-sized stable particles are currently lacking. Here, we describe new processes to produce highly condensed collagen microparticles by means of droplet microfluidics or membrane emulsification. Droplets of an aqueous solution of type I collagen were formed in a continuous phase of polar organic solvent followed by rapid dissolution of water molecules into the continuous phase because the droplets were in a non-equilibrium state. We obtained highly unique, disc-shaped condensed collagen microparticles with a final collagen concentration above 10% and examined factors affecting particle size and morphology. After testing the cell-adhesion properties on the collagen microparticles, composite multicellular spheroids comprising the particles and primary rat hepatocytes were formed using microfabricated hydrogel chambers. We found that the ratio of the cells and particles is critical in terms of improvement of hepatic functions in the composite spheroids. The presented methodology for incorporating particulate-form ECM components in multicellular spheroids would be advantageous because of the biochemical similarity with the microenvironments in vivo.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Masumi Yamada
- Department of Applied Chemistry and Biotechnology, Graduate School of Engineering, Chiba University, 1-33 Yayoi-cho, Inage-ku, Chiba 263-8522, Japan.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
26
|
Liu W, Xu J, Li T, Zhao L, Ma C, Shen S, Wang J. Monitoring tumor response to anticancer drugs using stable three-dimensional culture in a recyclable microfluidic platform. Anal Chem 2015; 87:9752-60. [PMID: 26337449 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.5b01915] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
The development and application of miniaturized platforms with the capability for microscale and dynamic control of biomimetic and high-throughput three-dimensional (3D) culture plays a crucial role in biological research. In this study, pneumatic microstructure-based microfluidics was used to systematically demonstrate 3D tumor culture under various culture conditions. We also demonstrated the reusability of the fabrication-optimized pneumatic device for high-throughput cell manipulation and 3D tumor culture. This microfluidic system provides remarkably long-term (over 1 month) and cyclic stability. Furthermore, temporal and high-throughput monitoring of tumor response to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of different chemotherapies, was achieved based on the robust culture. This advancement in microfluidics has potential applications in the fields of tissue engineering, tumor biology, and clinical medicine; it also provides new insight into the construction of high-performance and recyclable microplatforms for cancer research.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wenming Liu
- College of Science and ‡College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University , Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Juan Xu
- College of Science and ‡College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University , Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Tianbao Li
- College of Science and ‡College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University , Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Lei Zhao
- College of Science and ‡College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University , Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Chao Ma
- College of Science and ‡College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University , Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Shaofei Shen
- College of Science and ‡College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University , Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Jinyi Wang
- College of Science and ‡College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University , Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Kim JY, Fluri DA, Marchan R, Boonen K, Mohanty S, Singh P, Hammad S, Landuyt B, Hengstler JG, Kelm JM, Hierlemann A, Frey O. 3D spherical microtissues and microfluidic technology for multi-tissue experiments and analysis. J Biotechnol 2015; 205:24-35. [PMID: 25592049 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiotec.2015.01.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 97] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2014] [Revised: 12/20/2014] [Accepted: 01/05/2015] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Rational development of more physiologic in vitro models includes the design of robust and flexible 3D-microtissue-based multi-tissue devices, which allow for tissue-tissue interactions. The developed device consists of multiple microchambers interconnected by microchannels. Pre-formed spherical microtissues are loaded into the microchambers and cultured under continuous perfusion. Gravity-driven flow is generated from on-chip reservoirs through automated chip-tilting without any need for additional tubing and external pumps. This tilting concept allows for operating up to 48 devices in parallel in order to test various drug concentrations with a sufficient number of replicates. For a proof of concept, rat liver and colorectal tumor microtissues were interconnected on the chip and cultured during 8 days in the presence of the pro-drug cyclophosphamide. Cyclophosphamide has a significant impact on tumor growth but only after bio-activation by the liver. This effect was only observed in the perfused and interconnected co-cultures of different microtissue types on-chip, whereas the discontinuous transfer of supernatant via pipetting from static liver microtissues that have been treated with cyclophosphamide did not significantly affect tumor growth. The results indicate the utility and multi-tissue functionality of this platform. The importance of continuous medium circulation and tissue interaction is highlighted.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jin-Young Kim
- ETH Zurich, Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, Bio Engineering Laboratory, Mattenstrasse 26, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
| | - David A Fluri
- InSphero AG, Wagistrasse 27, 8952 Schlieren, Switzerland
| | - Rosemarie Marchan
- Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors (IfADo), TU Dortmund University, Ardeystrasse 67, 44139 Dortmund, Germany
| | - Kurt Boonen
- KU Leuven, Research Group of Functional Genomics and Proteomics, Naamsestraat 59, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Soumyaranjan Mohanty
- ETH Zurich, Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, Bio Engineering Laboratory, Mattenstrasse 26, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Prateek Singh
- ETH Zurich, Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, Bio Engineering Laboratory, Mattenstrasse 26, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Seddik Hammad
- Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors (IfADo), TU Dortmund University, Ardeystrasse 67, 44139 Dortmund, Germany; Department of Forensic Medicine and Veterinary Toxicology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, South Valley University, 83523 Qena, Egypt
| | - Bart Landuyt
- KU Leuven, Research Group of Functional Genomics and Proteomics, Naamsestraat 59, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Jan G Hengstler
- Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors (IfADo), TU Dortmund University, Ardeystrasse 67, 44139 Dortmund, Germany
| | - Jens M Kelm
- InSphero AG, Wagistrasse 27, 8952 Schlieren, Switzerland
| | - Andreas Hierlemann
- ETH Zurich, Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, Bio Engineering Laboratory, Mattenstrasse 26, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Olivier Frey
- ETH Zurich, Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, Bio Engineering Laboratory, Mattenstrasse 26, 4058 Basel, Switzerland.
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Patra B, Peng YS, Peng CC, Liao WH, Chen YA, Lin KH, Tung YC, Lee CH. Migration and vascular lumen formation of endothelial cells in cancer cell spheroids of various sizes. BIOMICROFLUIDICS 2014; 8:052109. [PMID: 25332736 PMCID: PMC4189544 DOI: 10.1063/1.4895568] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2014] [Accepted: 09/01/2014] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
We developed a microfluidic device to culture cellular spheroids of controlled sizes and suitable for live cell imaging by selective plane illumination microscopy (SPIM). We cocultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) within the spheroids formed by hepatocellular carcinoma cells, and studied the distributions of the HUVECs over time. We observed that the migration of HUVECs depended on the size of spheroids. In the spheroids of ∼200 μm diameters, HUVECs migrated outwards to the edges within 48 h; while in the spheroids of ∼250 μm diameters, there was no outward migration of the HUVECs up to 72 h. In addition, we studied the effects of pro-angiogenic factors, namely, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and fibroblast growth factor (β-FGF), on the migration of HUVECs in the carcinoma cell spheroid. The outward migration of HUVECs in 200 μm spheroids was hindered by the treatment with VEGF and β-FGF. Moreover, some of the HUVECs formed hollow lumen within 72 h under VEGF and β-FGF treatment. The combination of SPIM and microfluidic devices gives high resolution in both spatial and temporal domains. The observation of HUVECs in spheroids provides us insight on tumor vascularization, an ideal disease model for drug screening and fundamental studies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Chien-Chung Peng
- Research Center for Applied Sciences , Academia Sinica, Taipei 11529, Taiwan
| | - Wei-Hao Liao
- Research Center for Applied Sciences , Academia Sinica, Taipei 11529, Taiwan
| | | | - Keng-Hui Lin
- Institute of Physics , Academia Sinica, Taipei 11529, Taiwan
| | - Yi-Chung Tung
- Research Center for Applied Sciences , Academia Sinica, Taipei 11529, Taiwan
| | | |
Collapse
|
29
|
Shen K, Lee J, Yarmush ML, Parekkadan B. Microcavity substrates casted from self-assembled microsphere monolayers for spheroid cell culture. Biomed Microdevices 2014; 16:609-15. [PMID: 24781882 PMCID: PMC4415162 DOI: 10.1007/s10544-014-9863-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Multicellular spheroids are an important 3-dimensional cell culture model that reflects many key aspects of in vivo microenvironments. This paper presents a scalable, self-assembly based approach for fabricating microcavity substrates for multicellular spheroid cell culture. Hydrophobic glass microbeads were self-assembled into a tightly packed monolayer through the combined actions of surface tension, gravity, and lateral capillary forces at the water-air interface of a polymer solution. The packed bead monolayer was subsequently embedded in the dried polymer layer. The surface was used as a template for replicating microcavity substrates with perfect spherical shapes. We demonstrated the use of the substrate in monitoring the formation process of tumor spheroids, a proof-of-concept scale-up fabrication procedure into standard microplate formats, and its application in testing cancer drug responses in the context of bone marrow stromal cells. The presented technique offers a simple and effective way of forming high-density uniformly-sized spheroids without microfabrication equipment for biological and drug screening applications.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Keyue Shen
- Department of Surgery, Center for Engineering in Medicine and Surgical Services, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School and the Shriners Hospitals for Children, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Jungwoo Lee
- Department of Surgery, Center for Engineering in Medicine and Surgical Services, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School and the Shriners Hospitals for Children, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Martin L. Yarmush
- Department of Surgery, Center for Engineering in Medicine and Surgical Services, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School and the Shriners Hospitals for Children, Boston, MA 02114, USA. Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Biju Parekkadan
- Department of Surgery, Center for Engineering in Medicine and Surgical Services, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School and the Shriners Hospitals for Children, Boston, MA 02114, USA. Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Kwapiszewska K, Michalczuk A, Rybka M, Kwapiszewski R, Brzózka Z. A microfluidic-based platform for tumour spheroid culture, monitoring and drug screening. LAB ON A CHIP 2014; 14:2096-104. [PMID: 24800721 DOI: 10.1039/c4lc00291a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 121] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
The development of novel cellular models that can replace animals in preclinical trials of drug candidates is one of the major goals of cell engineering. Current in vitro screening methods hardly correspond with the in vivo situation, whereas there is a lack of assays for more accurate cell culture models. Therefore, development of automated assays for 3D cell culture models is urgently required. In this work, we present a SpheroChip system: a microfluidic-based platform for long-term 3D cell culture and analysis. The system is compatible with commercially available microplate readers and provides continuous, in situ monitoring of tumour spheroids cultured on a chip. The microfluidic chip consists of cell culture microchambers and hemispherical microwells connected with a concentration gradient generator. HT-29 and Hep-G2 cells were successfully cultured as tumour spheroids in the SpheroChip, and metabolic activity of cells was monitored for up to two weeks by in situ fluorimetric measurements. Cellular response to an anticancer drug was observed using the SpheroChip. The experimental setup provided the unique possibility of observing dynamic changes in metabolic activity of one culture during sequencing days after drug dosage. According to this new approach, unknown phenomena of cellular response to the anticancer drug were observed, such as increase of metabolic activity shortly after drug dosage. Moreover, the influence of a second dose of a drug was evaluated. The SpheroChip system can be used by researchers working on drug screening, evaluation of anticancer procedures and chemoresistance phenomena.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- K Kwapiszewska
- Institute of Biotechnology, Department of Microbioanalytics, Faculty of Chemistry, Warsaw University of Technology, Noakowskiego 3, 00-664 Warsaw, Poland.
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
31
|
Sakai Y, Hattori K, Yanagawa F, Sugiura S, Kanamori T, Nakazawa K. Detachably assembled microfluidic device for perfusion culture and post-culture analysis of a spheroid array. Biotechnol J 2014; 9:971-9. [PMID: 24802801 DOI: 10.1002/biot.201300559] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2013] [Revised: 03/26/2014] [Accepted: 05/05/2014] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Microfluidic devices permit perfusion culture of three-dimensional (3D) tissue, mimicking the flow of blood in vascularized 3D tissue in our body. Here, we report a microfluidic device composed of a two-part microfluidic chamber chip and multi-microwell array chip able to be disassembled at the culture endpoint. Within the microfluidic chamber, an array of 3D tissue aggregates (spheroids) can be formed and cultured under perfusion. Subsequently, detailed post-culture analysis of the spheroids collected from the disassembled device can be performed. This device facilitates uniform spheroid formation, growth analysis in a high-throughput format, controlled proliferation via perfusion flow rate, and post-culture analysis of spheroids. We used the device to culture spheroids of human hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG2) cells under two controlled perfusion flow rates. HepG2 spheroids exhibited greater cell growth at higher perfusion flow rates than at lower perfusion flow rates, and exhibited different metabolic activity and mRNA and protein expression under the different flow rate conditions. These results show the potential of perfusion culture to precisely control the culture environment in microfluidic devices. The construction of spheroid array chambers allows multiple culture conditions to be tested simultaneously, with potential applications in toxicity and drug screening.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yusuke Sakai
- Department of Life and Environment Engineering, The University of Kitakyushu, Kitakyushu, Fukuoka, Japan; Research Center for Stem Cell Engineering, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
32
|
Fu CY, Tseng SY, Yang SM, Hsu L, Liu CH, Chang HY. A microfluidic chip with a U-shaped microstructure array for multicellular spheroid formation, culturing and analysis. Biofabrication 2014; 6:015009. [DOI: 10.1088/1758-5082/6/1/015009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
|
33
|
Jin BJ, Battula S, Zachos N, Kovbasnjuk O, Fawlke-Abel J, In J, Donowitz M, Verkman AS. Microfluidics platform for measurement of volume changes in immobilized intestinal enteroids. BIOMICROFLUIDICS 2014; 8:024106. [PMID: 24738013 PMCID: PMC3976466 DOI: 10.1063/1.4870400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2014] [Accepted: 03/24/2014] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Intestinal enteroids are ex vivo primary cultured single-layer epithelial cell spheroids of average diameter ∼150 μm with luminal surface facing inward. Measurement of enteroid swelling in response to secretagogues has been applied to genetic testing in cystic fibrosis and evaluation of drug candidates for cystic fibrosis and secretory diarrheas. The current measurement method involves manual addition of drugs and solutions to enteroids embedded in a Matrigel matrix and estimation of volume changes from confocal images of fluorescently stained enteroids. We developed a microfluidics platform for efficient trapping and immobilization of enteroids for quantitative measurement of volume changes. Multiple enteroids are trapped in a "pinball machine-like" array of polydimethylsiloxane posts for measurement of volume changes in unlabeled enteroids by imaging of an extracellular, high-molecular weight fluorescent dye. Measurement accuracy was validated using slowly expanding air bubbles. The method was applied to measure swelling of mouse jejunal enteroids in response to an osmotic challenge and cholera toxin-induced chloride secretion. The microfluidics platform allows for parallel measurement of volume changes on multiple enteroids during continuous superfusion, without an immobilizing matrix, and for quantitative volume determination without chemical labeling or assumptions about enteroid shape changes during swelling.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Byung-Ju Jin
- Departments of Medicine and Physiology, University of California, San Francisco, California 94143, USA
| | - Sailaja Battula
- Departments of Medicine and Physiology, University of California, San Francisco, California 94143, USA
| | - Nick Zachos
- Departments of Physiology and Medicine, Gastroenterology Division, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, USA
| | - Olga Kovbasnjuk
- Departments of Physiology and Medicine, Gastroenterology Division, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, USA
| | - Jennifer Fawlke-Abel
- Departments of Physiology and Medicine, Gastroenterology Division, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, USA
| | - Julie In
- Departments of Physiology and Medicine, Gastroenterology Division, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, USA
| | - Mark Donowitz
- Departments of Physiology and Medicine, Gastroenterology Division, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, USA
| | - Alan S Verkman
- Departments of Medicine and Physiology, University of California, San Francisco, California 94143, USA
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Harink B, Le Gac S, Truckenmüller R, van Blitterswijk C, Habibovic P. Regeneration-on-a-chip? The perspectives on use of microfluidics in regenerative medicine. LAB ON A CHIP 2013; 13:3512-28. [PMID: 23877890 DOI: 10.1039/c3lc50293g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
The aim of regenerative medicine is to restore or establish normal function of damaged tissues or organs. Tremendous efforts are placed into development of novel regenerative strategies, involving (stem) cells, soluble factors, biomaterials or combinations thereof, as a result of the growing need caused by continuous population aging. To satisfy this need, fast and reliable assessment of (biological) performance is sought, not only to select the potentially interesting candidates, but also to rule out poor ones at an early stage of development. Microfluidics may provide a new avenue to accelerate research and development in the field of regenerative medicine as it has proven its maturity for the realization of high-throughput screening platforms. In addition, microfluidic systems offer other advantages such as the possibility to create in vivo-like microenvironments. Besides the complexity of organs or tissues that need to be regenerated, regenerative medicine brings additional challenges of complex regeneration processes and strategies. The question therefore arises whether so much complexity can be integrated into microfluidic systems without compromising reliability and throughput of assays. With this review, we aim to investigate whether microfluidics can become widely applied in regenerative medicine research and/or strategies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Björn Harink
- Department of Tissue Regeneration, MIRA Institute for Biomedical Engineering and Technical Medicine, PO Box 217, 7500AE Enschede, The Netherlands.
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
35
|
Yoon S, Kim JA, Lee SH, Kim M, Park TH. Droplet-based microfluidic system to form and separate multicellular spheroids using magnetic nanoparticles. LAB ON A CHIP 2013; 13:1522-8. [PMID: 23426090 DOI: 10.1039/c3lc41322e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
The importance of creating a three-dimensional (3-D) multicellular spheroid has recently been gaining attention due to the limitations of monolayer cell culture to precisely mimic in vivo structure and cellular interactions. Due to this emerging interest, researchers have utilized new tools, such as microfluidic devices, that allow high-throughput and precise size control to produce multicellular spheroids. We have developed a droplet-based microfluidic system that can encapsulate both cells and magnetic nanoparticles within alginate beads to mimic the function of a multicellular tumor spheroid. Cells were entrapped within the alginate beads along with magnetic nanoparticles, and the beads of a relatively uniform size (diameters of 85% of the beads were 170-190 μm) were formed in the oil phase. These beads were passed through parallel streamlines of oil and culture medium, where the beads were magnetically transferred into the medium phase from the oil phase using an external magnetic force. This microfluidic chip eliminates additional steps for collecting the spheroids from the oil phase and transferring them to culture medium. Ultimately, the overall spheroid formation process can be achieved on a single microchip.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sungjun Yoon
- Interdisciplinary Program of Bioengineering, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 151-744, Republic of Korea
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
36
|
Das T, Chakraborty S. Perspective: Flicking with flow: Can microfluidics revolutionize the cancer research? BIOMICROFLUIDICS 2013; 7:11811. [PMID: 24403993 PMCID: PMC3574074 DOI: 10.1063/1.4789750] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2012] [Accepted: 12/20/2012] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
According to the World Health Organization, cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Cancer research, in its all facets, is truly interdisciplinary in nature, cutting across the fields of fundamental and applied sciences, as well as biomedical engineering. In recent years, microfluidics has been applied successfully in cancer research. There remain, however, many elusive features of this disease, where microfluidic systems could throw new lights. In addition, some inherent features of microfluidic systems remain unexploited in cancer research. In this article, we first briefly review the advancement of microfluidics in cancer biology. We then describe the biophysical aspects of cancer and outline how microfluidic system could be useful in developing a deeper understanding on the underlying mechanisms. We next illustrate the effects of the confined environment of microchannel on cellular dynamics and argue that the tissue microconfinement could be a crucial facet in tumor development. Lastly, we attempt to highlight some of the most important problems in cancer biology, to inspire next level of microfluidic applications in cancer research.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tamal Das
- Department of New Materials and Biosystems, Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, Stuttgart 70569, Germany
| | - Suman Chakraborty
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Indian Institute for Technology Kharagpur, Kharagpur 721302, India
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
Patra B, Chen YH, Peng CC, Lin SC, Lee CH, Tung YC. A microfluidic device for uniform-sized cell spheroids formation, culture, harvesting and flow cytometry analysis. BIOMICROFLUIDICS 2013; 7:54114. [PMID: 24396525 PMCID: PMC3808411 DOI: 10.1063/1.4824480] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2013] [Accepted: 09/24/2013] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Culture of cells as three-dimensional (3D) aggregates, named spheroids, possesses great potential to improve in vitro cell models for basic biomedical research. However, such cell spheroid models are often complicated, cumbersome, and expensive compared to conventional Petri-dish cell cultures. In this work, we developed a simple microfluidic device for cell spheroid formation, culture, and harvesting. Using this device, cells could form uniformly sized spheroids due to strong cell-cell interactions and the spatial confinement of microfluidic culture chambers. We demonstrated cell spheroid formation and culture in the designed devices using embryonic stem cells, carcinoma cells, and fibroblasts. We further scaled up the device capable of simultaneously forming and culturing 5000 spheroids in a single chip. Finally, we demonstrated harvesting of the cultured spheroids from the device with a simple setup. The harvested spheroids possess great integrity, and the cells can be exploited for further flow cytometry assays due to the ample cell numbers.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bishnubrata Patra
- Institute of Biophotonics, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei 11221, Taiwan ; Biophotonics & Molecular Imaging Research Center (BMIRC), National Yang-Ming University, Taipei 11221, Taiwan
| | - Ying-Hua Chen
- Research Center for Applied Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei 11529, Taiwan
| | - Chien-Chung Peng
- Research Center for Applied Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei 11529, Taiwan
| | - Shiang-Chi Lin
- Graduate Institute of Electronics Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan
| | - Chau-Hwang Lee
- Institute of Biophotonics, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei 11221, Taiwan ; Biophotonics & Molecular Imaging Research Center (BMIRC), National Yang-Ming University, Taipei 11221, Taiwan ; Research Center for Applied Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei 11529, Taiwan
| | - Yi-Chung Tung
- Research Center for Applied Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei 11529, Taiwan
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
Luongo K, Holton A, Kaushik A, Spence P, Ng B, Deschenes R, Sundaram S, Bhansali S. Microfluidic device for trapping and monitoring three dimensional multicell spheroids using electrical impedance spectroscopy. BIOMICROFLUIDICS 2013; 7:34108. [PMID: 24404028 PMCID: PMC3689825 DOI: 10.1063/1.4809590] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2013] [Accepted: 05/22/2013] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
In this paper, we report the design, fabrication, and testing of a lab-on-a-chip based microfluidic device for application of trapping and measuring the dielectric properties of microtumors over time using electrical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). Microelectromechanical system (MEMS) techniques were used to embed opposing electrodes onto the top and bottom surfaces of a microfluidic channel fabricated using Pyrex substrate, chrome gold, SU-8, and polydimethylsiloxane. Differing concentrations of cell culture medium, differing sized polystyrene beads, and MCF-7 microtumor spheroids were used to validate the designs ability to detect background conductivity changes and dielectric particle diameter changes between electrodes. The observed changes in cell medium concentrations demonstrated a linear relation to extracted solution resistance (Rs), while polystyrene beads and multicell spheroids induced changes in magnitude consistent with diameter increase. This design permits optical correlation between electrical measurements and EIS spectra.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kevin Luongo
- BioMEMs and Microfabrication system Laboratory, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Florida International University, Miami, Florida 33172, USA ; Bioengineering Center, Draper Laboratory, Tampa, Florida 33612, USA ; Electrical Engineering, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida 33620, USA
| | - Angela Holton
- Bioengineering Center, Draper Laboratory, Tampa, Florida 33612, USA
| | - Ajeet Kaushik
- BioMEMs and Microfabrication system Laboratory, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Florida International University, Miami, Florida 33172, USA
| | - Paige Spence
- Bioengineering Center, Draper Laboratory, Tampa, Florida 33612, USA
| | - Beng Ng
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida 33620, USA
| | - Robert Deschenes
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida 33620, USA
| | - Shankar Sundaram
- Bioengineering Center, Draper Laboratory, Tampa, Florida 33612, USA
| | - Shekhar Bhansali
- BioMEMs and Microfabrication system Laboratory, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Florida International University, Miami, Florida 33172, USA
| |
Collapse
|
39
|
Formation of Multicellular Microtissues and Applications in Biofabrication. Biofabrication 2013. [DOI: 10.1016/b978-1-4557-2852-7.00008-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register]
|
40
|
Kim C, Bang JH, Kim YE, Lee SH, Kang JY. On-chip anticancer drug test of regular tumor spheroids formed in microwells by a distributive microchannel network. LAB ON A CHIP 2012; 12:4135-42. [PMID: 22864534 DOI: 10.1039/c2lc40570a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
This paper proposes a new cytotoxicity assay in a microfluidic device with microwells and a distributive microfluidic channel network for the formation of cancer cell spheroids. The assay can generate rapid and uniform cell clusters in microwells and test in situ cytotoxicity of anticancer drugs including sequential drug treatments, long term culture of spheroids and cell viability assays. Inlet ports are connected to the microwells by a hydraulic resistance network. This uniform distribution of cell suspensions results in regular spheroid dimensions. Injected cancer cells were trapped in microwells, and aggregated into tumor spheroids within 3 days. A cytotoxicity test of the spheroids in microwells was subsequently processed in the same device without the extraction of cells. The in situ cytotoxicity assay of tumor spheroids in microwells was comparable with the MTT assay on hanging drop spheroids using a conventional 96-well plate. It was observed that the inhibition rate of the spheroids was less than that in the 2D culture dish and the effect on tumor spheroids was different depending on the anticancer drug. This device could provide a convenient in situ assay tool to assess the cytotoxicity of anticancer drugs on tumor spheroids, offering more information than the conventional 2D culture plate.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Choong Kim
- Center for BioMicrosystem, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Korea
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
41
|
Achilli TM, Meyer J, Morgan JR. Advances in the formation, use and understanding of multi-cellular spheroids. Expert Opin Biol Ther 2012; 12:1347-60. [PMID: 22784238 DOI: 10.1517/14712598.2012.707181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 336] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Developing in vitro models for studying cell biology and cell physiology is of great importance to the fields of biotechnology, cancer research, drug discovery, toxicity testing, as well as the emerging fields of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. Traditional two-dimensional (2D) methods of mammalian cell culture have several limitations and it is increasingly recognized that cells grown in a three-dimensional (3D) environment more closely represent normal cellular function due to the increased cell-to-cell interactions, and by mimicking the in vivo architecture of natural organs and tissues. AREAS COVERED In this review, we discuss the methods to form 3D multi-cellular spheroids, the advantages and limitations of these methods, and assays used to characterize the function of spheroids. The use of spheroids has led to many advances in basic cell sciences, including understanding cancer cell interactions, creating models for drug discovery and cancer metastasis, and they are being investigated as basic units for engineering tissue constructs. As so, this review will focus on contributions made to each of these fields using spheroid models. EXPERT OPINION Multi-cellular spheroids are rich in biological content and mimic better the in vivo environment than 2D cell culture. New technologies to form and analyze spheroids are rapidly increasing their adoption and expanding their applications.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Toni-Marie Achilli
- Brown University, Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Physiology and Biotechnology, Providence, RI 02912, USA
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
42
|
Luo Y, Wang C, Hossain M, Qiao Y, Ma L, An J, Su M. Three-Dimensional Microtissue Assay for High-Throughput Cytotoxicity of Nanoparticles. Anal Chem 2012; 84:6731-8. [DOI: 10.1021/ac301191j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Yang Luo
- Department
of Laboratory Medicine,
Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400038, China
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
43
|
Choudhury D, Mo X, Iliescu C, Tan LL, Tong WH, Yu H. Exploitation of physical and chemical constraints for three-dimensional microtissue construction in microfluidics. BIOMICROFLUIDICS 2011; 5:22203. [PMID: 21799710 PMCID: PMC3145229 DOI: 10.1063/1.3593407] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2011] [Accepted: 05/02/2011] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
There are a plethora of approaches to construct microtissues as building blocks for the repair and regeneration of larger and complex tissues. Here we focus on various physical and chemical trapping methods for engineering three-dimensional microtissue constructs in microfluidic systems that recapitulate the in vivo tissue microstructures and functions. Advances in these in vitro tissue models have enabled various applications, including drug screening, disease or injury models, and cell-based biosensors. The future would see strides toward the mesoscale control of even finer tissue microstructures and the scaling of various designs for high throughput applications. These tools and knowledge will establish the foundation for precision engineering of complex tissues of the internal organs for biomedical applications.
Collapse
|