Endothelial Cell Culture Under Perfusion On A Polyester-Toner Microfluidic Device

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Cell Biology
• Toxicology

Background:

• Microfluidic devices offer controlled environments for biological studies.
• Mimicking blood vessels is crucial for cardiovascular research and drug testing.
• Existing methods for creating such devices can be complex and costly.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an inexpensive and simple microfluidic device that mimics a blood vessel.
• To evaluate the biocompatibility of the device materials for cell culture.
• To assess the potential of the device for applications in cell biology and organ-on-a-chip research.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a microfluidic device using polyester and toner (PT).
• Assessment of cytotoxicity using MTT reduction assays.
• Measurement of nitric oxide (NO) production.
• Evaluation of endothelial cell adhesion, proliferation, and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF-A) expression after oxygen plasma and fibronectin treatment.

Main Results:

• The PT microchip components showed no induced cell death or nitric oxide production.
• Oxygen plasma and fibronectin treatments significantly enhanced endothelial cell adhesion and proliferation.
• Increased vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF-A) concentration correlated with improved endothelialization.
• The device demonstrated successful endothelialization, mimicking neovascularization.

Conclusions:

• The developed
• vein-on-a-chip
• is a cost-effective and user-friendly platform for biological research.
• The device is biocompatible and supports endothelial cell growth, making it suitable for various applications.
• This microfluidic device has the potential to accelerate research in cell biology and organ-on-a-chip development.