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Spheroid and Tissue Assembly via Click Chemistry in Microfluidic Flow
Paul J O'Brien1, Wei Luo1, Dmitry Rogozhnikov1
1Department of Chemistry, Centre for Research in Biomolecular Interactions, York University , Toronto, Ontario M3J 1P3, Canada.
Bioconjugate Chemistry
|August 13, 2015
Summary
Researchers developed a novel microfluidic method to rapidly assemble complex 3D cell spheroids and tissues. This scaffold-free approach uses bio-orthogonal chemistry for efficient cell-cell connections, advancing tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.
Area of Science:
- Biotechnology
- Tissue Engineering
- Cell Biology
Background:
- Cell-cell contact and communication are crucial for organism development and survival.
- In vitro 3D cell interaction models are vital for advancing biotechnology, therapeutics, and tissue engineering.
Purpose of the Study:
- To present a new strategy for rapid and efficient generation of complex, multi-cell line spheroids and tissues in microfluidic flow.
- To demonstrate a scaffold-free, bio-orthogonal chemistry-based method for assembling 3D cell structures.
Main Methods:
- Integration of microfluidics, liposome fusion, bio-orthogonal chemistry, and cell surface engineering.
- Utilizing interfacial cell-to-cell click chemistry for rapid coculture cell assembly in microfluidic flow.
- Scaffold-free and metabolic biosynthesis-free approach.
Main Results:
- Successfully generated various combinations of cell types into spheroids and oriented tissue multilayers.
- Demonstrated rapid and efficient assembly of complex 3D cell structures.
- Established a versatile platform for creating diverse multicellular constructs.
Conclusions:
- The developed microfluidic strategy enables rapid and efficient generation of complex 3D multicellular spheroids and tissues.
- This scaffold-free method offers a promising tool for tissue engineering, regenerative medicine, and drug discovery.
- The approach integrates multiple advanced techniques for versatile cell assembly.

