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The Multi-organ Chip - A Microfluidic Platform for Long-term Multi-tissue Coculture
Published on: April 28, 2015
29.8K
A Reversibly Sealed, Easy Access, Modular (SEAM) Microfluidic Architecture to Establish In Vitro Tissue Interfaces.
Vinay V Abhyankar1, Meiye Wu1, Chung-Yan Koh1
1Department of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Sandia National Laboratories, Livermore, California, 94551, United States of America.
Plos One
|May 27, 2016
Summary
This study introduces a modular microfluidic system for easier in vitro barrier tissue model creation and analysis. The user-friendly design simplifies experiments with drug candidates, pathogens, and toxins.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Cell Biology
- Toxicology
Background:
- Microfluidic barrier tissue models are valuable in vitro tools for studying interactions with external stimuli like drugs, pathogens, and toxins.
- Current methods for establishing and maintaining these models can be complex and require specialized engineering expertise, limiting accessibility for many researchers.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and present a modular, user-friendly microfluidic system that simplifies the workflow for establishing, maintaining, and analyzing microscale tissue constructs.
- To demonstrate the system's versatility by incorporating biomimetic interfaces and performing multi-tiered analyses.
Main Methods:
- A module-based microfluidic approach using magnetically coupled inserts for simplified cell seeding, culture, and analysis.
- Perfusion options include standard syringe pumps or a self-contained gravity-fed module.
- Proof-of-concept experiments involved culturing primary human microvascular endothelial cells (HMVECs) and primary rat cortical cells, with stimulation by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and integration of a hyaluronic acid/peptide amphiphile membrane.
Main Results:
- Demonstrated a simplified workflow for microfluidic barrier tissue model creation and maintenance.
- Successfully cultured HMVECs and performed combined surface protein imaging and gene expression analysis after LPS stimulation.
- Integrated a biomimetic membrane (<1 μm) with brain-specific stiffness, showing multi-tiered readouts from primary rat cortical cells that correlate with brain tissue signatures.
Conclusions:
- The presented modular microfluidic system offers an accessible and simplified operational workflow for researchers.
- This approach facilitates the incorporation of advanced microfluidic barrier tissue models into diverse research settings.
- The system's ability to integrate biomimetic interfaces enhances the physiological relevance of in vitro models.
