User-friendly 3D bioassays with cell-containing hydrogel modules: narrowing the gap between microfluidic bioassays...

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Cell Biology
• Microfluidics

Background:

• Physiologically relevant 3D in vivo-like microenvironments are crucial for cell maintenance and bioassays.
• Microfluidic bioassays incorporating hydrogel scaffolds have advanced, enabling controlled biochemical stimuli and real-time imaging.
• A simpler, user-friendly approach is needed to couple cell-hydrogel modules with automated bioassay platforms.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review recent progress in hydrogel-incorporated microfluidics for long-term cell maintenance.
• To discuss simpler, user-friendly 3D bioassay techniques using cell-containing hydrogel modules.
• To promote collaborations between biologists, clinicians, and microfluidic engineers.

Main Methods:

• Review of recent literature on hydrogel-incorporated microfluidics.
• Discussion of user-friendly 3D bioassay techniques.
• Focus on modular cell-containing hydrogel systems.

Main Results:

• Hydrogel modules create physiologically relevant 3D microenvironments for multiple cell types and unique extracellular matrix (ECM) compositions.
• Microfluidic bioassays facilitate spatiotemporal biochemical stimuli and real-time cell-matrix interaction imaging.
• Simpler, user-friendly techniques are emerging for coupling hydrogel modules and bioassay platforms.

Conclusions:

• Modular, user-friendly hydrogel-based 3D bioassay formats can be interfaced with existing lab infrastructure.
• These approaches facilitate long-term cell maintenance and advanced bioassays.
• This modular format can help address clinical questions beyond current 2D cell culture limitations.