Open access microfluidic device for the study of cell migration during chemotaxis

Area of Science:

• Cellular Biology
• Biophysics
• Microfluidics

Background:

• Cells migrate in response to chemical gradients, a fundamental biological process.
• Existing microfluidic devices often face challenges like evaporation, cell loading, and bubble blockage.
• Understanding cell migration dynamics is crucial for developmental biology and disease research.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate an open microfluidic device (OMD) for quantitative analysis of cell migration.
• To investigate the influence of channel confinement and cell polarity on migration dynamics.
• To compare cell migration rates and behaviors in response to different chemical gradients (cAMP, folic acid).

Main Methods:

• Development of an open microfluidic device (OMD) with varying channel widths (6-12 µm and 100 µm).
• Stable chemical gradients established using passive diffusion via micropipette, avoiding shear forces.
• Migration rates and behaviors of Dictyostelium discoideum cells observed in response to cAMP and folic acid gradients.

Main Results:

• Polarized cells migrating towards cAMP exhibited significantly faster speeds than unpolarized cells towards folic acid.
• Unpolarized cells in wider channels showed less deviation but faster migration than those in confined channels.
• Cell migration speed appeared independent of mean chemical concentration, with polarized cells demonstrating agile directional changes.

Conclusions:

• The OMD provides a robust platform for studying cell migration under controlled gradient conditions.
• Cell polarity is a critical factor influencing migration speed and directional persistence.
• Channel geometry and cell polarization significantly impact directed cell movement in microfluidic environments.