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Tian Z, Yuan Z, Duarte PA, Shaheen M, Wang S, Haddon L, Chen J. Highly efficient cell-microbead encapsulation using dielectrophoresis-assisted dual-nanowell array. PNAS NEXUS 2023; 2:pgad155. [PMID: 37252002 PMCID: PMC10210622 DOI: 10.1093/pnasnexus/pgad155] [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: 11/30/2022] [Revised: 04/03/2023] [Accepted: 05/03/2023] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Recent advancements in micro/nanofabrication techniques have led to the development of portable devices for high-throughput single-cell analysis through the isolation of individual target cells, which are then paired with functionalized microbeads. Compared with commercially available benchtop instruments, portable microfluidic devices can be more widely and cost-effectively adopted in single-cell transcriptome and proteome analysis. The sample utilization and cell pairing rate (∼33%) of current stochastic-based cell-bead pairing approaches are fundamentally limited by Poisson statistics. Despite versatile technologies having been proposed to reduce randomness during the cell-bead pairing process in order to statistically beat the Poisson limit, improvement of the overall pairing rate of a single cell to a single bead is typically based on increased operational complexity and extra instability. In this article, we present a dielectrophoresis (DEP)-assisted dual-nanowell array (ddNA) device, which employs an innovative microstructure design and operating process that decouples the bead- and cell-loading processes. Our ddNA design contains thousands of subnanoliter microwell pairs specifically tailored to fit both beads and cells. Interdigitated electrodes (IDEs) are placed below the microwell structure to introduce a DEP force on cells, yielding high single-cell capture and pairing rates. Experimental results with human embryonic kidney cells confirmed the suitability and reproducibility of our design. We achieved a single-bead capture rate of >97% and a cell-bead pairing rate of >75%. We anticipate that our device will enhance the application of single-cell analysis in practical clinical use and academic research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zuyuan Tian
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Alberta, 9107 116 Street NW, T6G 1H9 Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Zhipeng Yuan
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Alberta, 9107 116 Street NW, T6G 1H9 Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Pedro A Duarte
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Alberta, 9107 116 Street NW, T6G 1H9 Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Mohamed Shaheen
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Alberta, 9107 116 Street NW, T6G 1H9 Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Shaoxi Wang
- School of Microelectronics, Northwestern Polytechnical University, 127 Youyi St West, 710129 Xi’an, Shannxi, China
| | - Lacey Haddon
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Alberta, 9107 116 Street NW, T6G 1H9 Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Jie Chen
- To whom correspondence should be addressed:
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2
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Tevlek A, Kecili S, Ozcelik OS, Kulah H, Tekin HC. Spheroid Engineering in Microfluidic Devices. ACS OMEGA 2023; 8:3630-3649. [PMID: 36743071 PMCID: PMC9893254 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.2c06052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2022] [Accepted: 12/12/2022] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Two-dimensional (2D) cell culture techniques are commonly employed to investigate biophysical and biochemical cellular responses. However, these culture methods, having monolayer cells, lack cell-cell and cell-extracellular matrix interactions, mimicking the cell microenvironment and multicellular organization. Three-dimensional (3D) cell culture methods enable equal transportation of nutrients, gas, and growth factors among cells and their microenvironment. Therefore, 3D cultures show similar cell proliferation, apoptosis, and differentiation properties to in vivo. A spheroid is defined as self-assembled 3D cell aggregates, and it closely mimics a cell microenvironment in vitro thanks to cell-cell/matrix interactions, which enables its use in several important applications in medical and clinical research. To fabricate a spheroid, conventional methods such as liquid overlay, hanging drop, and so forth are available. However, these labor-intensive methods result in low-throughput fabrication and uncontrollable spheroid sizes. On the other hand, microfluidic methods enable inexpensive and rapid fabrication of spheroids with high precision. Furthermore, fabricated spheroids can also be cultured in microfluidic devices for controllable cell perfusion, simulation of fluid shear effects, and mimicking of the microenvironment-like in vivo conditions. This review focuses on recent microfluidic spheroid fabrication techniques and also organ-on-a-chip applications of spheroids, which are used in different disease modeling and drug development studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Atakan Tevlek
- METU
MEMS Research and Application Center, Ankara 06800, Turkey
| | - Seren Kecili
- The
Department of Bioengineering, Izmir Institute
of Technology, Urla, Izmir 35430, Turkey
| | - Ozge S. Ozcelik
- The
Department of Bioengineering, Izmir Institute
of Technology, Urla, Izmir 35430, Turkey
| | - Haluk Kulah
- METU
MEMS Research and Application Center, Ankara 06800, Turkey
- The
Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Middle East Technical University, Ankara 06800, Turkey
| | - H. Cumhur Tekin
- METU
MEMS Research and Application Center, Ankara 06800, Turkey
- The
Department of Bioengineering, Izmir Institute
of Technology, Urla, Izmir 35430, Turkey
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3
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Sandström N, Brandt L, Sandoz PA, Zambarda C, Guldevall K, Schulz-Ruhtenberg M, Rösener B, Krüger RA, Önfelt B. Live single cell imaging assays in glass microwells produced by laser-induced deep etching. LAB ON A CHIP 2022; 22:2107-2121. [PMID: 35470832 DOI: 10.1039/d2lc00090c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Miniaturization of cell culture substrates enables controlled analysis of living cells in confined micro-scale environments. This is particularly suitable for imaging individual cells over time, as they can be monitored without escaping the imaging field-of-view (FoV). Glass materials are ideal for most microscopy applications. However, with current methods used in life sciences, glass microfabrication is limited in terms of either freedom of design, quality, or throughput. In this work, we introduce laser-induced deep etching (LIDE) as a method for producing glass microwell arrays for live single cell imaging assays. We demonstrate novel microwell arrays with deep, high-aspect ratio wells that have rounded, dimpled or flat bottom profiles in either single-layer or double-layer glass chips. The microwells are evaluated for microscopy-based analysis of long-term cell culture, clonal expansion, laterally organized cell seeding, subcellular mechanics during migration and immune cell cytotoxicity assays of both adherent and suspension cells. It is shown that all types of microwells can support viable cell cultures and imaging with single cell resolution, and we highlight specific benefits of each microwell design for different applications. We believe that high-quality glass microwell arrays enabled by LIDE provide a great option for high-content and high-resolution imaging-based live cell assays with a broad range of potential applications within life sciences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Niklas Sandström
- Department of Applied Physics, Science for Life Laboratory, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - Ludwig Brandt
- Department of Applied Physics, Science for Life Laboratory, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - Patrick A Sandoz
- Department of Applied Physics, Science for Life Laboratory, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - Chiara Zambarda
- Department of Applied Physics, Science for Life Laboratory, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - Karolin Guldevall
- Department of Applied Physics, Science for Life Laboratory, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden.
| | | | | | | | - Björn Önfelt
- Department of Applied Physics, Science for Life Laboratory, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden.
- Department of Microbiology, Tumour and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
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4
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Li Q, Xu S, Feng Q, Dai Q, Yao L, Zhang Y, Gao H, Dong H, Chen D, Cao X. 3D printed silk-gelatin hydrogel scaffold with different porous structure and cell seeding strategy for cartilage regeneration. Bioact Mater 2021; 6:3396-3410. [PMID: 33842736 PMCID: PMC8010633 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioactmat.2021.03.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2020] [Revised: 03/03/2021] [Accepted: 03/03/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Hydrogel scaffolds are attractive for tissue defect repair and reorganization because of their human tissue-like characteristics. However, most hydrogels offer limited cell growth and tissue formation ability due to their submicron- or nano-sized gel networks, which restrict the supply of oxygen, nutrients and inhibit the proliferation and differentiation of encapsulated cells. In recent years, 3D printed hydrogels have shown great potential to overcome this problem by introducing macro-pores within scaffolds. In this study, we fabricated a macroporous hydrogel scaffold through horseradish peroxidase (HRP)-mediated crosslinking of silk fibroin (SF) and tyramine-substituted gelatin (GT) by extrusion-based low-temperature 3D printing. Through physicochemical characterization, we found that this hydrogel has excellent structural stability, suitable mechanical properties, and an adjustable degradation rate, thus satisfying the requirements for cartilage reconstruction. Cell suspension and aggregate seeding methods were developed to assess the inoculation efficiency of the hydrogel. Moreover, the chondrogenic differentiation of stem cells was explored. Stem cells in the hydrogel differentiated into hyaline cartilage when the cell aggregate seeding method was used and into fibrocartilage when the cell suspension was used. Finally, the effect of the hydrogel and stem cells were investigated in a rabbit cartilage defect model. After implantation for 12 and 16 weeks, histological evaluation of the sections was performed. We found that the enzymatic cross-linked and methanol treatment SF5GT15 hydrogel combined with cell aggregates promoted articular cartilage regeneration. In summary, this 3D printed macroporous SF-GT hydrogel combined with stem cell aggregates possesses excellent potential for application in cartilage tissue repair and regeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qingtao Li
- National Engineering Research Center for Tissue Restoration and Reconstruction (NERC-TRR), South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, GuangDong, 510641, China
- School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, GuangDong, 510641, China
- Zhongshan Institute of Modern Industrial Technology of SCUT, Zhongshan, Guangdong, 528437, China
| | - Sheng Xu
- National Engineering Research Center for Tissue Restoration and Reconstruction (NERC-TRR), South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, GuangDong, 510641, China
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Material Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, GuangDong, 510641, China
- Key Laboratory of Biomedical Engineering of Guangdong Province, Key Laboratory of Biomedical Materials and Engineering of the Ministry of Education, Innovation Center for Tissue Restoration and Reconstruction, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, GuangDong, 510641, China
| | - Qi Feng
- National Engineering Research Center for Tissue Restoration and Reconstruction (NERC-TRR), South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, GuangDong, 510641, China
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Material Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, GuangDong, 510641, China
- Key Laboratory of Biomedical Engineering of Guangdong Province, Key Laboratory of Biomedical Materials and Engineering of the Ministry of Education, Innovation Center for Tissue Restoration and Reconstruction, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, GuangDong, 510641, China
| | - Qiyuan Dai
- National Engineering Research Center for Tissue Restoration and Reconstruction (NERC-TRR), South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, GuangDong, 510641, China
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Material Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, GuangDong, 510641, China
- Key Laboratory of Biomedical Engineering of Guangdong Province, Key Laboratory of Biomedical Materials and Engineering of the Ministry of Education, Innovation Center for Tissue Restoration and Reconstruction, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, GuangDong, 510641, China
| | - Longtao Yao
- National Engineering Research Center for Tissue Restoration and Reconstruction (NERC-TRR), South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, GuangDong, 510641, China
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Material Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, GuangDong, 510641, China
- Key Laboratory of Biomedical Engineering of Guangdong Province, Key Laboratory of Biomedical Materials and Engineering of the Ministry of Education, Innovation Center for Tissue Restoration and Reconstruction, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, GuangDong, 510641, China
| | - Yichen Zhang
- National Engineering Research Center for Tissue Restoration and Reconstruction (NERC-TRR), South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, GuangDong, 510641, China
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Material Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, GuangDong, 510641, China
- Key Laboratory of Biomedical Engineering of Guangdong Province, Key Laboratory of Biomedical Materials and Engineering of the Ministry of Education, Innovation Center for Tissue Restoration and Reconstruction, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, GuangDong, 510641, China
| | - Huichang Gao
- National Engineering Research Center for Tissue Restoration and Reconstruction (NERC-TRR), South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, GuangDong, 510641, China
- School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, GuangDong, 510641, China
- Key Laboratory of Biomedical Engineering of Guangdong Province, Key Laboratory of Biomedical Materials and Engineering of the Ministry of Education, Innovation Center for Tissue Restoration and Reconstruction, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, GuangDong, 510641, China
| | - Hua Dong
- National Engineering Research Center for Tissue Restoration and Reconstruction (NERC-TRR), South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, GuangDong, 510641, China
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Material Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, GuangDong, 510641, China
- Key Laboratory of Biomedical Engineering of Guangdong Province, Key Laboratory of Biomedical Materials and Engineering of the Ministry of Education, Innovation Center for Tissue Restoration and Reconstruction, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, GuangDong, 510641, China
| | - Dafu Chen
- Laboratory of Bone Tissue Engineering, Beijing Laboratory of Biomedical Materials, Beijing Research Institute of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Beijing JiShuiTan Hospital, Beijing, 100035, China
| | - Xiaodong Cao
- National Engineering Research Center for Tissue Restoration and Reconstruction (NERC-TRR), South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, GuangDong, 510641, China
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Material Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, GuangDong, 510641, China
- Key Laboratory of Biomedical Engineering of Guangdong Province, Key Laboratory of Biomedical Materials and Engineering of the Ministry of Education, Innovation Center for Tissue Restoration and Reconstruction, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, GuangDong, 510641, China
- Zhongshan Institute of Modern Industrial Technology of SCUT, Zhongshan, Guangdong, 528437, China
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5
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Lin D, Chen X, Liu Y, Lin Z, Luo Y, Fu M, Yang N, Liu D, Cao J. Microgel Single-Cell Culture Arrays on a Microfluidic Chip for Selective Expansion and Recovery of Colorectal Cancer Stem Cells. Anal Chem 2021; 93:12628-12638. [PMID: 34495647 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.1c02335] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are rare and lack definite biomarkers, necessitating new methods for a robust expansion. Here, we developed a microfluidic single-cell culture (SCC) approach for expanding and recovering colorectal CSCs from both cell lines and tumor tissues. By incorporating alginate hydrogels with droplet microfluidics, a high-density microgel array can be formed on a microfluidic chip that allows for single-cell encapsulation and nonadhesive culture. The SCC approach takes advantage of the self-renewal property of stem cells, as only the CSCs can survive in the SCC and form tumorspheres. Consecutive imaging confirmed the formation of single-cell-derived tumorspheres, mainly from a population of small-sized cells. Through on-chip decapsulation of the alginate microgel, ∼6000 live cells can be recovered in a single run, which is sufficient for most biological assays. The recovered cells were verified to have the genetic and phenotypic characteristics of CSCs. Furthermore, multiple CSC-specific targets were identified by comparing the transcriptomics of the CSCs with the primary cancer cells. To summarize, the microgel SCC array offers a label-free approach to obtain sufficient quantities of CSCs and thus is potentially useful for understanding cancer biology and developing personalized CSC-targeting therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongguo Lin
- School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China.,Department of Laboratory Medicine, Guangzhou First People's Hospital, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510180, China.,Guangdong Engineering Technology Research Center of Microfluidic Chip Medical Diagnosis, Guangzhou 510180, China
| | - Xiao Chen
- School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Yang Liu
- School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Zhun Lin
- School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Yanzhang Luo
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Guangzhou First People's Hospital, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510180, China
| | - Mingpeng Fu
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Guangzhou First People's Hospital, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510180, China
| | - Na Yang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Guangzhou First People's Hospital, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510180, China
| | - Dayu Liu
- School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China.,Department of Laboratory Medicine, Guangzhou First People's Hospital, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510180, China.,Guangdong Engineering Technology Research Center of Microfluidic Chip Medical Diagnosis, Guangzhou 510180, China
| | - Jie Cao
- School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China.,Department of General Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of South China University of Technology, 1, Panfu Road, Guangzhou 510180, China
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6
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Grubb ML, Caliari SR. Fabrication approaches for high-throughput and biomimetic disease modeling. Acta Biomater 2021; 132:52-82. [PMID: 33716174 PMCID: PMC8433272 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2021.03.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2020] [Revised: 02/15/2021] [Accepted: 03/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
There is often a tradeoff between in vitro disease modeling platforms that capture pathophysiologic complexity and those that are amenable to high-throughput fabrication and analysis. However, this divide is closing through the application of a handful of fabrication approaches-parallel fabrication, automation, and flow-driven assembly-to design sophisticated cellular and biomaterial systems. The purpose of this review is to highlight methods for the fabrication of high-throughput biomaterial-based platforms and showcase examples that demonstrate their utility over a range of throughput and complexity. We conclude with a discussion of future considerations for the continued development of higher-throughput in vitro platforms that capture the appropriate level of biological complexity for the desired application. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: There is a pressing need for new biomedical tools to study and understand disease. These platforms should mimic the complex properties of the body while also permitting investigation of many combinations of cells, extracellular cues, and/or therapeutics in high-throughput. This review summarizes emerging strategies to fabricate biomimetic disease models that bridge the gap between complex tissue-mimicking microenvironments and high-throughput screens for personalized medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mackenzie L Grubb
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Virginia, Unites States
| | - Steven R Caliari
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Virginia, Unites States; Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Virginia, Unites States.
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7
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Perrone E, Cesaria M, Zizzari A, Bianco M, Ferrara F, Raia L, Guarino V, Cuscunà M, Mazzeo M, Gigli G, Moroni L, Arima V. Potential of CO 2-laser processing of quartz for fast prototyping of microfluidic reactors and templates for 3D cell assembly over large scale. Mater Today Bio 2021; 12:100163. [PMID: 34901818 PMCID: PMC8637645 DOI: 10.1016/j.mtbio.2021.100163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2021] [Revised: 10/25/2021] [Accepted: 11/18/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Carbon dioxide (CO2)-laser processing of glasses is a versatile maskless writing technique to engrave micro-structures with flexible control on shape and size. In this study, we present the fabrication of hundreds of microns quartz micro-channels and micro-holes by pulsed CO2-laser ablation with a focus on the great potential of the technique in microfluidics and biomedical applications. After discussing the impact of the laser processing parameters on the design process, we illustrate specific applications. First, we demonstrate the use of a serpentine microfluidic reactor prepared by combining CO2-laser ablation and post-ablation wet etching to remove surface features stemming from laser-texturing that are undesirable for channel sealing. Then, cyclic olefin copolymer micro-pillars are fabricated using laser-processed micro-holes as molds with high detail replication. The hundreds of microns conical and square pyramidal shaped pillars are used as templates to drive 3D cell assembly. Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells are found to assemble in a compact and wrapping way around the micro-pillars forming a tight junction network. These applications are interesting for both Lab-on-a-Chip and Organ-on-a-Chip devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisabetta Perrone
- CNR NANOTEC - Institute of Nanotechnology, c/o Campus Ecotekne, Lecce, Italy
| | - Maura Cesaria
- University of Salento, Department of Mathematics and Physics “E. De Giorgi”, Lecce, Italy
| | - Alessandra Zizzari
- CNR NANOTEC - Institute of Nanotechnology, c/o Campus Ecotekne, Lecce, Italy
| | - Monica Bianco
- CNR NANOTEC - Institute of Nanotechnology, c/o Campus Ecotekne, Lecce, Italy
| | - Francesco Ferrara
- CNR NANOTEC - Institute of Nanotechnology, c/o Campus Ecotekne, Lecce, Italy
- STMicroelectronics S.r.l, Lecce, Italy
| | - Lillo Raia
- STMicroelectronics S.r.l, Agrate Brianza, Monza Brianza, Italy
| | - Vita Guarino
- CNR NANOTEC - Institute of Nanotechnology, c/o Campus Ecotekne, Lecce, Italy
- University of Salento, Department of Mathematics and Physics “E. De Giorgi”, Lecce, Italy
| | - Massimo Cuscunà
- CNR NANOTEC - Institute of Nanotechnology, c/o Campus Ecotekne, Lecce, Italy
| | - Marco Mazzeo
- CNR NANOTEC - Institute of Nanotechnology, c/o Campus Ecotekne, Lecce, Italy
- University of Salento, Department of Mathematics and Physics “E. De Giorgi”, Lecce, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Gigli
- CNR NANOTEC - Institute of Nanotechnology, c/o Campus Ecotekne, Lecce, Italy
- University of Salento, Department of Mathematics and Physics “E. De Giorgi”, Lecce, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Moroni
- CNR NANOTEC - Institute of Nanotechnology, c/o Campus Ecotekne, Lecce, Italy
- Maastricht University, MERLN Institute for Technology-Inspired Regenerative Medicine, department of complex tissue regeneration, Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | - Valentina Arima
- CNR NANOTEC - Institute of Nanotechnology, c/o Campus Ecotekne, Lecce, Italy
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Chen C, Rengarajan V, Kjar A, Huang Y. A matrigel-free method to generate matured human cerebral organoids using 3D-Printed microwell arrays. Bioact Mater 2021; 6:1130-1139. [PMID: 33134606 PMCID: PMC7577195 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioactmat.2020.10.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2020] [Revised: 09/05/2020] [Accepted: 10/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The current methods of generating human cerebral organoids rely excessively on the use of Matrigel or other external extracellular matrices (ECM) for cell micro-environmental modulation. Matrigel embedding is problematic for long-term culture and clinical applications due to high inconsistency and other limitations. In this study, we developed a novel microwell culture platform based on 3D printing. This platform, without using Matrigel or external signaling molecules (i.e., SMAD and Wnt inhibitors), successfully generated matured human cerebral organoids with robust formation of high-level features (i.e., wrinkling/folding, lumens, neuronal layers). The formation and timing were comparable or superior to the current Matrigel methods, yet with improved consistency. The effect of microwell geometries (curvature and resolution) and coating materials (i.e., mPEG, Lipidure, BSA) was studied, showing that mPEG outperformed all other coating materials, while curved-bottom microwells outperformed flat-bottom ones. In addition, high-resolution printing outperformed low-resolution printing by creating faithful, isotropically-shaped microwells. The trend of these effects was consistent across all developmental characteristics, including EB formation efficiency and sphericity, organoid size, wrinkling index, lumen size and thickness, and neuronal layer thickness. Overall, the microwell device that was mPEG-coated, high-resolution printed, and bottom curved demonstrated the highest efficacy in promoting organoid development. This platform provided a promising strategy for generating uniform and mature human cerebral organoids as an alternative to Matrigel/ECM-embedding methods.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Andrew Kjar
- Department of Biological Engineering, Utah State University, Logan, UT, 84322, USA
| | - Yu Huang
- Department of Biological Engineering, Utah State University, Logan, UT, 84322, USA
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