Microcirculation system with a dialysis part for bioassays evaluating anticancer activity and retention

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Pharmacology
• Microfluidics

Background:

• Drug distribution and excretion are critical pharmacokinetic processes.
• Existing in vitro bioassays can be resource-intensive.
• Mimicking physiological circulation and excretion is essential for accurate drug assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a microfluidic system simulating the body's circulation and excretion processes.
• To assess the feasibility of using this system for drug activity assays.
• To evaluate the system's potential for reducing cell and reagent consumption.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a microcirculation-excretion chip using photolithography on glass and polydimethylsiloxane.
• Integration of a dialysis component and a microperistaltic pump for fluid flow control.
• Culturing MCF-7 human breast cancer cells as target cells for drug activity assessment.

Main Results:

• The microcirculation-excretion chip successfully mimicked drug distribution and excretion dynamics.
• The system demonstrated the ability to assay the anticancer activity of docetaxel and thio-TEPA.
• Drug excretion and half-life were observed to be influenced by protein binding affinity.

Conclusions:

• The developed microcirculation-excretion chip is a viable platform for in vitro drug activity assays.
• This microfluidic system offers a potential reduction in cell and reagent requirements compared to conventional methods.
• The system provides a valuable tool for pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic studies.