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Single-Cell Mechanical Characteristics Analyzed by Multiconstriction Microfluidic Channels.

Xiang Ren1, Parham Ghassemi1, Hesam Babahosseini1

  • 1The Bradley Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Virginia Tech , Blacksburg, Virginia 24061, United States.

ACS Sensors
|July 21, 2017
PubMed
Summary

This study introduces a microfluidic device for differentiating cancerous MDA-MB-231 and normal MCF-10A breast cells based on their mechanical properties. A multiconstriction channel design achieved high accuracy in cell differentiation.

Keywords:
breast cancer cellsmicrofluidic cell separationmulticonstriction channelparticle trackingsmartphone imagingvelocity profilesvideo/image processing

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Area of Science:

  • Biomedical Engineering
  • Cell Biology
  • Microfluidics

Background:

  • Distinguishing between cancerous and non-cancerous cells is crucial for effective breast cancer diagnosis and treatment.
  • Mechanical properties of cells can differ significantly between cancerous and non-cancerous cell lines.
  • Microfluidic devices offer a promising platform for high-throughput cell analysis.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop and validate a microfluidic device capable of differentiating human breast cancer cells (MDA-MB-231) from non-tumorigenic human breast cells (MCF-10A).
  • To assess cellular mechanical properties using velocity profiles within a microfluidic channel as a novel measure of deformation ability.
  • To compare the efficacy of single versus multiconstriction channel designs for cell differentiation.

Main Methods:

  • Fabrication of a microfluidic device with variable numbers of multiconstriction channels.
  • Recording cell movement through the microfluidic device using microscopy and a smartphone.
  • Analyzing cell velocity profiles using tracking software to quantify deformation.
  • Comparing differentiation accuracy between single and multiconstriction channel designs.

Main Results:

  • A multiconstriction channel design (five deformation regions separated by four relaxation regions) demonstrated superior performance in differentiating MDA-MB-231 and MCF-10A cells compared to a single deformation design.
  • The velocity profile criteria achieved approximately 95% differentiation accuracy for both cell lines.
  • The study identified distinct velocity profiles indicative of the mechanical differences between the two cell types.

Conclusions:

  • Microfluidic devices with multiconstriction channels are effective tools for differentiating cancerous and non-cancerous breast cells based on their mechanical properties.
  • Cellular velocity profiles within microfluidic channels serve as a reliable indicator of cell deformability and can be used for high-accuracy cell differentiation.
  • This approach offers a novel, label-free method for breast cancer cell analysis.