Microfluidic-driven viral infection on cell cultures: Theoretical and experimental study

Area of Science:

• Biotechnology
• Cell Biology
• Bioengineering

Background:

• Optimizing cell infection efficiency is crucial for research and therapeutics.
• Traditional cell culture methods may not accurately replicate in vivo conditions.
• Controlled microenvironments are needed to study virus-host interactions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a microfluidic platform for controlled adenoviral vector delivery.
• To investigate the impact of convective and diffusive transport on infection efficiency.
• To introduce an effective multiplicity of infection (MOI) concept for microfluidic systems.

Main Methods:

• Development of a multilayered microfluidic device for tunable virus delivery.
• Mathematical modeling to predict convective-diffusive regimes and mass transport.
• Infection of various cell types with adenoviral vectors (EGFP) under static and perfused conditions.
• Analysis of infection efficiency at different multiplicities of infection (MOI).

Main Results:

• Mathematical models accurately predicted convective-diffusive regimes within the microfluidic system.
• Perfusion via the microfluidic platform significantly enhanced adenoviral infection efficiency, especially at low MOIs.
• Steady-state conditions in perfused systems ensured constant viral concentration, boosting infection efficacy over time.
• Validation of the enhanced infection efficiency compared to standard static cultures.

Conclusions:

• The developed microfluidic platform offers precise control over virus delivery, optimizing infection efficiency.
• Perfusion in microfluidic systems overcomes diffusion limitations, improving adenoviral vector delivery and cell transduction.
• The concept of effective MOI provides a more accurate metric for quantifying infection in microfluidic settings.