A modular, reversible sealing, and reusable microfluidic device for drug screening

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Pharmacology
• Cell Biology

Background:

• Conventional preclinical drug testing is costly and time-consuming.
• Microfluidic technology offers a faster, more efficient alternative for drug screening.
• Developing modular and reusable microdevices is crucial for advancing preclinical research.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and validate a simple, modular, and reversible sealing microdevice for drug screening.
• To assess the feasibility of using the microdevice for generating concentration gradients and culturing cells.
• To demonstrate the utility of the microdevice in determining drug efficacy and cellular response.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a microdevice using laminated polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS_LAM) and glass.
• Culturing MCF-7 breast cancer cells within the microdevice.
• Exposing cells to a doxorubicin concentration gradient and monitoring viability using automated microscopy.
• Utilizing reversible sealing for cell recovery and subsequent analysis.

Main Results:

• The microdevice successfully operated under 4 parallel conditions and generated diffusive concentration gradients in sextuplicates.
• Cell viability was determined as a function of doxorubicin concentration after a 3-hour exposure.
• The reversible sealing allowed for effective cell recovery and image acquisition post-experiment.

Conclusions:

• The developed microfluidic device is a promising tool for efficient and cost-effective drug screening.
• It enables the assessment of cellular behavior under dynamic conditions and facilitates downstream analysis.
• The modular and reusable design enhances its applicability in preclinical research for evaluating drug candidates.