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Cheng Q, Chen J, Wan C, Song Y, Huang C. Preparation of Janus Droplets and Hydrogels with Controllable Morphologies by an Aqueous Two-Phase System on the Superamphiphobic Surface. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2022; 14:50434-50443. [PMID: 36300357 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.2c16704] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Janus particles, having the property integration of each component, have attracted increasing attention due to their considerable potential in the field of material engineering applications. However, organic solvents or sophisticated equipment during the fabrication processes is generally inevitable. Here, we report a facile route to prepare Janus droplets and hydrogels via aqueous two-phase systems (ATPS). Simply merging two polymers, i.e., polyethylene glycol (PEG) and dextran (DEX), as aqueous droplets on a superamphiphobic surface leads to phase separation, provided that their concentrations exceed the threshold in the mixed aqueous droplets, thus generating a Janus structure. Various morphologies of such Janus droplets can be well controlled by manipulating the locations of these two polymers' concentration on the phase diagram, and the evolution of the mixed droplets are deterministic on the basis of the kinetics of their phase separation and the degree of hydrophobicity of the substrate. Introducing monomers and/or nanoparticles, further, into a certain phase of the ATPS droplet followed by photopolymerizing enables Janus hydrogel particles with diverse functionalities to be obtained. The ease and green techniques with which the Janus balance and curvature between two phases of the Janus droplet can be finely tuned point to new directions in designing Janus particles and hold great promises in biological engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Quanyong Cheng
- Key Lab of Materials Chemistry for Energy Conversion and Storage of Ministry of Education, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST), Wuhan, 430074, People's Republic of China
| | - Jingyi Chen
- Key Lab of Materials Chemistry for Energy Conversion and Storage of Ministry of Education, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST), Wuhan, 430074, People's Republic of China
| | - Chuchu Wan
- Key Lab of Materials Chemistry for Energy Conversion and Storage of Ministry of Education, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST), Wuhan, 430074, People's Republic of China
| | - Yuhang Song
- Key Lab of Materials Chemistry for Energy Conversion and Storage of Ministry of Education, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST), Wuhan, 430074, People's Republic of China
| | - Caili Huang
- Key Lab of Materials Chemistry for Energy Conversion and Storage of Ministry of Education, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST), Wuhan, 430074, People's Republic of China
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2
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Lee J, Kwon Y, Jung J, Shin H, Park J. Immunostaining Extracellular Vesicles Based on an Aqueous Two-Phase System: For Analysis of Tetraspanins. ACS APPLIED BIO MATERIALS 2021; 4:3294-3303. [PMID: 35014416 DOI: 10.1021/acsabm.0c01625] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Immunostaining of extracellular vesicles (EVs) has become necessary for the characterization of EV subtypes, clarification of the EV biogenesis/cellular uptake pathway, drug delivery, etc. Immunostained EVs must be in suspension for further downstream analyses or uses. However, conventional EV immunostaining methods yielding EVs in suspension lack either sufficient recovery or staining specificity because of the washing steps. In this study, we have devised and tested a method to wash immunostained EVs with successive aqueous two-phase system (ATPS) separations. The ATPS is a liquid-liquid extraction procedure that ensures a gentle separation of target molecules. The ATPS has been successfully employed to separate EVs from other impurities with high yield and high purity. Immunostained EVs were washed with the ATPS and compared with other immunostaining methods to confirm the proposed method's high EV recovery and staining accuracy. According to the result, the ATPS-based EV immunostaining method required as low as ∼1 μg without compromise of accuracy and recovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingeol Lee
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang, Gyeong-buk 790-784, Republic of Korea
| | - Yongmin Kwon
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang, Gyeong-buk 790-784, Republic of Korea
| | - Jaehun Jung
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang, Gyeong-buk 790-784, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyunwoo Shin
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang, Gyeong-buk 790-784, Republic of Korea
| | - Jaesung Park
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang, Gyeong-buk 790-784, Republic of Korea.,School of Interdisciplinary Bioscience and Bioengineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang, Gyeong-buk 790-784, Republic of Korea
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3
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Peacock CJ, Lamont C, Sheen DA, Shen VK, Kreplak L, Frampton JP. Predicting the Mixing Behavior of Aqueous Solutions Using a Machine Learning Framework. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2021; 13:11449-11460. [PMID: 33645207 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.0c21036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The most direct approach to determining if two aqueous solutions will phase-separate upon mixing is to exhaustively screen them in a pair-wise fashion. This is a time-consuming process that involves preparation of numerous stock solutions, precise transfer of highly concentrated and often viscous solutions, exhaustive agitation to ensure thorough mixing, and time-sensitive monitoring to observe the presence of emulsion characteristics indicative of phase separation. Here, we examined the pair-wise mixing behavior of 68 water-soluble compounds by observing the formation of microscopic phase boundaries and droplets of 2278 unique 2-component solutions. A series of machine learning classifiers (artificial neural network, random forest, k-nearest neighbors, and support vector classifier) were then trained on physicochemical property data associated with the 68 compounds and used to predict their miscibility upon mixing. Miscibility predictions were then compared to the experimental observations. The random forest classifier was the most successful classifier of those tested, displaying an average receiver operator characteristic area under the curve of 0.74. The random forest classifier was validated by removing either one or two compounds from the input data, training the classifier on the remaining data and then predicting the miscibility of solutions involving the removed compound(s) using the classifier. The accuracy, specificity, and sensitivity of the random forest classifier were 0.74, 0.80, and 0.51, respectively, when one of the two compounds to be examined was not represented in the training data. When asked to predict the miscibility of two compounds, neither of which were represented in the training data, the accuracy, specificity, and sensitivity values for the random forest classifier were 0.70, 0.82 and 0.29, respectively. Thus, there is potential for this machine learning approach to improve the design of screening experiments to accelerate the discovery of aqueous two-phase systems for numerous scientific and industrial applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chris J Peacock
- Department of Physics and Atmospheric Science, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H4R2, Canada
| | - Connor Lamont
- Department of Chemistry, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H 4R2, Canada
| | - David A Sheen
- Chemical Informatics Group, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, Maryland 20899, United States
| | - Vincent K Shen
- Chemical Informatics Group, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, Maryland 20899, United States
| | - Laurent Kreplak
- Department of Physics and Atmospheric Science, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H4R2, Canada
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H 4R2, Canada
| | - John P Frampton
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H 4R2, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H 4R2, Canada
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Yang BA, Westerhof TM, Sabin K, Merajver SD, Aguilar CA. Engineered Tools to Study Intercellular Communication. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2021; 8:2002825. [PMID: 33552865 PMCID: PMC7856891 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202002825] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2020] [Revised: 10/10/2020] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
All multicellular organisms rely on intercellular communication networks to coordinate physiological functions. As members of a dynamic social network, each cell receives, processes, and redistributes biological information to define and maintain tissue homeostasis. Uncovering the molecular programs underlying these processes is critical for prevention of disease and aging and development of therapeutics. The study of intercellular communication requires techniques that reduce the scale and complexity of in vivo biological networks while resolving the molecular heterogeneity in "omic" layers that contribute to cell state and function. Recent advances in microengineering and high-throughput genomics offer unprecedented spatiotemporal control over cellular interactions and the ability to study intercellular communication in a high-throughput and mechanistic manner. Herein, this review discusses how salient engineered approaches and sequencing techniques can be applied to understand collective cell behavior and tissue functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin A. Yang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Biointerfaces Institute2800 Plymouth Road, North Campus Research ComplexAnn ArborMIA10‐183USA
| | - Trisha M. Westerhof
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Biointerfaces Institute2800 Plymouth Road, North Campus Research ComplexAnn ArborMIA10‐183USA
- Department of Internal MedicineDivision of Hematology/Oncology and Rogel Cancer Center1500 East Medical Center Drive, Rogel Cancer CenterAnn ArborMI7314USA
| | - Kaitlyn Sabin
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Biointerfaces Institute2800 Plymouth Road, North Campus Research ComplexAnn ArborMIA10‐183USA
| | - Sofia D. Merajver
- Department of Internal MedicineDivision of Hematology/Oncology and Rogel Cancer Center1500 East Medical Center Drive, Rogel Cancer CenterAnn ArborMI7314USA
| | - Carlos A. Aguilar
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Biointerfaces Institute2800 Plymouth Road, North Campus Research ComplexAnn ArborMIA10‐183USA
- Program in Cellular and Molecular Biology2800 Plymouth Road, North Campus Research ComplexAnn ArborMIA10‐183USA
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5
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Reversible Bonding of Thermoplastic Elastomers for Cell Patterning Applications. Processes (Basel) 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/pr9010054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
In this paper, we present a simple, versatile method that creates patterns for cell migration studies using thermoplastic elastomer (TPE). The TPE material used here can be robustly, but reversibly, bonded to a variety of plastic substrates, allowing patterning of cultured cells in a microenvironment. We first examine the bonding strength of TPE to glass and polystyrene substrates and com-pare it to thermoset silicone-based PDMS under various conditions and demonstrate that the TPE can be strongly and reversibly bonded on commercially available polystyrene culture plates. In cell migration studies, cell patterns are templated around TPE features cored from a thin TPE film. We show that the significance of fibroblast cell growth with fetal bovine serum (FBS)-cell culture media compared to the cells cultured without FBS, analyzed over two days of cell culture. This simple approach allows us to generate cell patterns without harsh manipulations like scratch assays and to avoid damaging the cells. We also confirm that the TPE material is non-toxic to cell growth and supports a high viability of fibroblasts and breast cancer cells. We anticipate this TPE-based patterning approach can be further utilized for many other cell patterning applications such as in cell-to-cell communication studies.
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6
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Moon BU, Malic L, Morton K, Jeyhani M, Elmanzalawy A, Tsai SSH, Veres T. Evaporation-Driven Water-in-Water Droplet Formation. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2020; 36:14333-14341. [PMID: 33179927 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.0c02683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
We present new observations of aqueous two-phase system (ATPS) thermodynamic and interfacial phenomena that occur inside sessile droplets due to water evaporation. Sessile droplets that contain polymeric solutions, which are initially in equilibrium in a single phase, are observed at their three-phase liquid-solid-air contact line. As evaporation of a sessile droplet proceeds, we find that submicron secondary water-in-water (W/W) droplets emerge spontaneously at the edges of the mother sessile droplet due to the resulting phase separation from water evaporation. To understand this phenomenon, we first study the secondary W/W droplet formation process on different substrate materials, namely, glass, polycarbonate (PC), thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), poly(dimethylsiloxane)-coated glass slide (PDMS substrate), and Teflon-coated glass slide (Teflon substrate), and show that secondary W/W droplet formation arises only in lower-contact-angle substrates near the three-phase contact line. Next, we characterize the size of the emergent secondary W/W droplets as a function of time. We observe that W/W drops are formed, coalesced, aligned, and trapped along the contact line of the mother droplet. We demonstrate that this W/W multiple emulsion system can be used to encapsulate magnetic particles and blood cells, and achieve size-based separation. Finally, we show the applicability of this system for protein sensing. This is the first experimental observation of evaporation-induced secondary W/W droplet generation in a sessile droplet. We anticipate that the phenomena described here may be applicable to some biological assay applications, for example, biomarker detection, protein sensing, and point-of-care diagnostic testing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Byeong-Ui Moon
- Life Sciences Division, National Research Council of Canada, Boucherville, Quebec J4B 6Y4, Canada
| | - Lidija Malic
- Life Sciences Division, National Research Council of Canada, Boucherville, Quebec J4B 6Y4, Canada
| | - Keith Morton
- Life Sciences Division, National Research Council of Canada, Boucherville, Quebec J4B 6Y4, Canada
| | - Morteza Jeyhani
- Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Ryerson University, Toronto M5B 2K3, Canada
- Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Science, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto M5B 2K3, Canada
- Institute for Biomedical Engineering, Science and Technology (iBEST), a partnership between Ryerson University and St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto M5B 1W8, Canada
| | - Abdelrahman Elmanzalawy
- Life Sciences Division, National Research Council of Canada, Boucherville, Quebec J4B 6Y4, Canada
| | - Scott S H Tsai
- Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Ryerson University, Toronto M5B 2K3, Canada
- Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Science, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto M5B 2K3, Canada
- Institute for Biomedical Engineering, Science and Technology (iBEST), a partnership between Ryerson University and St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto M5B 1W8, Canada
| | - Teodor Veres
- Life Sciences Division, National Research Council of Canada, Boucherville, Quebec J4B 6Y4, Canada
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7
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Nan L, Cao Y, Yuan S, Shum HC. Oil-mediated high-throughput generation and sorting of water-in-water droplets. MICROSYSTEMS & NANOENGINEERING 2020; 6:70. [PMID: 34567680 PMCID: PMC8433215 DOI: 10.1038/s41378-020-0180-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2020] [Revised: 04/17/2020] [Accepted: 05/06/2020] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Aqueous two-phase system (ATPS) droplets have demonstrated superior compatibility over conventional water-in-oil droplets for various biological assays. However, the ultralow interfacial tension hampers efficient and stable droplet generation, limiting further development and more extensive use of such approaches. Here, we present a simple strategy to employ oil as a transient medium for ATPS droplet generation. Two methods based on passive flow focusing and active pico-injection are demonstrated to generate water-water-oil double emulsions, achieving a high generation frequency of ~2.4 kHz. Through evaporation of the oil to break the double emulsions, the aqueous core can be released to form uniform-sized water-in-water droplets. Moreover, this technique can be used to fabricate aqueous microgels, and the introduction of the oil medium enables integration of droplet sorting to produce single-cell-laden hydrogels with a harvest rate of over 90%. We believe that the demonstrated high-throughput generation and sorting of ATPS droplets represent an important tool to advance droplet-based tissue engineering and single-cell analyses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lang Nan
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong, China
| | - Yang Cao
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong, China
| | - Shuai Yuan
- Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong, China
| | - Ho Cheung Shum
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong, China
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8
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Sakthivel K, O'Brien A, Kim K, Hoorfar M. Microfluidic analysis of heterotypic cellular interactions: A review of techniques and applications. Trends Analyt Chem 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.trac.2019.03.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
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9
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Teixeira AG, Kleinman A, Agarwal R, Tam NW, Wang J, Frampton JP. Confinement of Suspension-Cultured Cells in Polyethylene Glycol/Polyethylene Oxide-Albumin Aqueous Two-Phase Systems. Front Chem 2019; 7:441. [PMID: 31275925 PMCID: PMC6591268 DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2019.00441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2018] [Accepted: 05/28/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Aqueous two-phase systems (ATPSs) have numerous applications in separation science, and more recently, in bioassays enabled by the solution micropatterning of cells. The most frequently used ATPS in these applications is the polyethylene glycol (PEG)-dextran (Dex) system, as the polymers that form this ATPS have been extensively characterized in terms of their physicochemical properties. However, in addition to this well-known system, there exist many other ATPSs with properties that may be exploited to improve upon the PEG-dextran system for specific applications. One of these underexplored systems is the ATPS formed from PEG/polyethylene oxide (PEO) and albumin. In this article, we characterize the phase separation of PEG (35 kDa) and polyethylene oxide (PEO) (200, 900, and 4,000 kDa) with bovine serum albumin (BSA). We describe the microscopic emulsion behavior of these systems in the presence of NaCl and compounds (NaHCO3, NaH2PO4, and HEPES) commonly used in buffer solutions and cell culture media. We further demonstrate that PEG- and PEO-albumin systems can be used in place of the PEG-dextran system for confinement of suspension-cultured cells (Jurkat T cells and RPMI-8226 B cells). Cell viability and morphology are examined for various polymer formulations relative to the commonly used PEG 35 kDa-Dex 500 kDa system and polymer-free cell culture medium. In addition, we examine cell activation for various phase-separating medium components by measuring IL-2 and IL-6 secretion. We demonstrate that we can confine immune cells and cytokines in the PEG-BSA system, and that this system can be employed to screen immune responses by enzyme-linked immunospot (ELISpot) assay. This new system represents a promising ATPS formulation for applications where low levels of baseline cell activation are required, for instance, when culturing immune cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alyne G. Teixeira
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
| | | | - Rishima Agarwal
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
| | - Nicky W. Tam
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
| | - Jun Wang
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
- Canadian Center for Vaccinology, IWK Health Centre, Halifax, NS, Canada
| | - John P. Frampton
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
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10
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Ruthven M, Ko KR, Agarwal R, Frampton JP. Microscopic evaluation of aqueous two-phase system emulsion characteristics enables rapid determination of critical polymer concentrations for solution micropatterning. Analyst 2018; 142:1938-1945. [PMID: 28487922 DOI: 10.1039/c7an00255f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Aqueous two-phase systems have emerged as valuable tools for microscale analysis of cell growth and many other biotechnology applications. The most critical step in developing an aqueous two-phase system for a specific application is identifying the critical concentrations at which the polymer solutions phase-separate. Current techniques for determining these critical concentrations rely on laborious methods, highly specialized assays or computational methods that make this step difficult for non-specialists. To overcome these limitations, we present a simplified assay that uses only readily accessible laboratory instruments and consumables (e.g., multichannel micropipettes, 96-well plates and a simple compound microscope) to determine the critical concentrations of aqueous two-phase system-forming polymers. We demonstrate that formulations selected from phase diagrams that describe these critical concentrations can be applied for solution micropatterning of cells.
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11
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Hann SD, Stebe KJ, Lee D. All-Aqueous Assemblies via Interfacial Complexation: Toward Artificial Cell and Microniche Development. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2017; 33:10107-10117. [PMID: 28882042 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.7b02237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
In nature, the environment surrounding biomolecules and living cells can dictate their structure, function, and properties. Confinement is a key means to define and regulate such environments. For example, the confinement of appropriate constituents in compartments facilitates the assembly, dynamics, and function of biochemical machineries as well as subcellular organelles. Membraneless organelles, in particular, are thought to form via thermodynamic cues defined within the interior space of cells. On larger length scales, the confinement of living cells dictates cellular function for both mammalian and bacterial cells. One promising class of artificial structures that can recapitulate these multiscale confinement effects is based on aqueous two-phase systems (ATPSs). This feature article highlights recent developments in the production and stabilization of ATPS-droplet-based systems, with a focus on interfacial complexation. These systems enable structure formation, modulation, and triggered (dis)assembly, thereby allowing structures to be tailored to fit the desired function and designed for particular confinement studies. Open issues for both synthetic cells and niche studies are identified.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah D Hann
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Pennsylvania , Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
| | - Kathleen J Stebe
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Pennsylvania , Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
| | - Daeyeon Lee
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Pennsylvania , Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, United States
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12
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Abstract
Recent advances in dynamic biointerfaces enable spatiotemporal control over cell position and migration after attachment using substrates that employ chemical, optical, thermal, or electrical triggers. This review focuses on flexible and accessible methods for the fabrication of cellular arrays or co cultures for fundamental studies of cell biology or regenerative medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Carlos C Co
- University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45221
| | - Chia-Chi Ho
- University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45221
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13
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Formation and manipulation of cell spheroids using a density adjusted PEG/DEX aqueous two phase system. Sci Rep 2015; 5:11891. [PMID: 26144552 PMCID: PMC4491721 DOI: 10.1038/srep11891] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2015] [Accepted: 06/05/2015] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Various spheroid formation techniques have been widely developed for efficient and reliable 3-D cell culture research. Although those efforts improved many aspects of spheroid generation, the procedures became complex and also required unusual laboratory equipment. Many recent techniques still involve laborious pipetting steps for spheroid manipulation such as collection, distribution and reseeding. In this report, we used a density-controlled polyethylene glycol and dextran aqueous two phase system to generate spheroids that are both consistent in size and precisely size-controllable. Moreover, by adding a few drops of fresh medium to the wells the contain spheroids, they can be simply settled and attached to the culture surface due to reduced densities of the phases. This unique attribute of the technique significantly reduces the numerous pipetting steps of spheroid manipulation to a single pipetting; therefore, the errors from those steps are eliminated and the reliability and efficiency of a research can be maximized.
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14
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Ham SL, Nasrollahi S, Shah KN, Soltisz A, Paruchuri S, Yun YH, Luker GD, Bishayee A, Tavana H. Phytochemicals potently inhibit migration of metastatic breast cancer cells. Integr Biol (Camb) 2015; 7:792-800. [PMID: 26120051 PMCID: PMC5474751 DOI: 10.1039/c5ib00121h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Cell migration is a major process that drives metastatic progression of cancers, the major cause of cancer death. Existing chemotherapeutic drugs have limited efficacy to prevent and/or treat metastasis, emphasizing the need for new treatments. We focus on triple negative breast cancer (TNBC), the subtype of breast cancer with worst prognosis and no standard chemotherapy protocols. Here we demonstrate that a group of natural compounds, known as phytochemicals, effectively block migration of metastatic TNBC cells. Using a novel cell micropatterning technology, we generate consistent migration niches in standard 96-well plates where each well contains a cell-excluded gap within a uniform monolayer of cells. Over time, cells migrate into and occupy the gap. Treating TNBC cells with non-toxic concentrations of phytochemicals significantly blocks motility of cells. Using a molecular analysis approach, we show that anti-migratory property of phytochemicals is partly due to their inhibitory effects on phosphorylation of ERK1/2. This study provides a framework for future studies to understand molecular targets of phytochemicals and evaluate their effectiveness in inhibiting metastasis in animal models of cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie Lemmo Ham
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Akron, Akron, Ohio 44325, USA.
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15
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Ham SL, Atefi E, Fyffe D, Tavana H. Robotic production of cancer cell spheroids with an aqueous two-phase system for drug testing. J Vis Exp 2015:e52754. [PMID: 25939084 PMCID: PMC4541593 DOI: 10.3791/52754] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer cell spheroids present a relevant in vitro model of avascular tumors for anti-cancer drug testing applications. A detailed protocol for producing both mono-culture and co-culture spheroids in a high throughput 96-well plate format is described in this work. This approach utilizes an aqueous two-phase system to confine cells into a drop of the denser aqueous phase immersed within the second aqueous phase. The drop rests on the well surface and keeps cells in close proximity to form a single spheroid. This technology has been adapted to a robotic liquid handler to produce size-controlled spheroids and expedite the process of spheroid production for compound screening applications. Spheroids treated with a clinically-used drug show reduced cell viability with increase in the drug dose. The use of a standard micro-well plate for spheroid generation makes it straightforward to analyze viability of cancer cells of drug-treated spheroids with a micro-plate reader. This technology is straightforward to implement both robotically and with other liquid handling tools such as manual pipettes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ehsan Atefi
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Akron
| | - Darcy Fyffe
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Akron
| | - Hossein Tavana
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Akron;
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16
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Dwidar M, Takayama S, Mitchell RJ. Aqueous two-phase system technology for patterning bacterial communities and biofilms. Methods Mol Biol 2014; 1147:23-32. [PMID: 24664823 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-0467-9_2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
We describe a novel method which makes use of polymer-based aqueous two-phase systems to pattern bacterial communities inside Petri dishes. This method allows us to culture submillimeter-sized bacterial communities in spatially distinct spots while maintaining a degree of chemical connectedness to each other through the aqueous phase. Given sufficient time, these bacterial cultures develop biofilms, each corresponding to the footprint of the droplet spot. This method can be used to study the interactions between bacterial communities and biofilms spotted adjacent to each other. Furthermore, it can be extended to study the interactions between different bacterial communities and an underlying epithelial cell layer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammed Dwidar
- School of Nano-Bioscience and Chemical Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology, Ulsan, Republic of Korea
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17
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Andrews RN, Mun KS, Scott C, Ho CC, Co CC. Rapid Prototyping of Heterotypic Cell-Cell Contacts. J Mater Chem B 2013; 1:5773-5777. [PMID: 24466428 PMCID: PMC3899713 DOI: 10.1039/c3tb21038c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Disparities in cellular behaviour between cultures of a single cell type and heterogeneous co-cultures require constructing spatially-defined arrays of multiple cell types. Such arrays are critical for investigating cellular properties as they exist in vivo. Current methods rely upon covalent surface modification or external physical micromanipulation to control cellular organization on a limited range of substrates. Here, we report a direct approach for creating co-cultures of different cell types by microcontact printing a photosensitive cell resist. The cell-resistant polymer converts to cell adhesive 0 with light exposure, thus the initial copolymer pattern dictates the position of both cell types. This strategy enables straightforward preparation of tailored heterotypic cell-cell contacts on materials ranging from polymers to metallic substrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ross N. Andrews
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Cincinnati, 2901 Woodside Drive, Cincinnati, OH 45221
| | - Kyu-Shik Mun
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Cincinnati, 2901 Woodside Drive, Cincinnati, OH 45221
| | - Carl Scott
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Cincinnati, 2901 Woodside Drive, Cincinnati, OH 45221
| | - Chia-Chi Ho
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Cincinnati, 2901 Woodside Drive, Cincinnati, OH 45221
| | - Carlos C. Co
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Cincinnati, 2901 Woodside Drive, Cincinnati, OH 45221
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