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Updated: Aug 24, 2025
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A Microfluidic Platform for High-throughput Single-cell Isolation and Culture
Published on: June 16, 2016
11.6K
Cell-Based Microfluidic Device Utilizing Cell Sheet Technology.
Katsuhisa Sakaguchi1, Kei Akimoto2, Masanori Takaira2
1Department of Integrative Bioscience and Biomedical Engineering, Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering, TWIns, Waseda University, 2-2 Wakamatsu-Cho, Shinju-Ku, Tokyo 162-8480, Japan.
Cyborg and Bionic Systems (Washington, D.C.)
|October 26, 2022
Summary
Researchers created a novel cell-only microfluidic device using cell sheet technology and microtitanium wires. This innovation enables the creation of perfusable luminal structures for advanced organ-on-a-chip systems.
Area of Science:
- Bioengineering and Regenerative Medicine
- Microfluidics and Organ-on-a-Chip Technology
Background:
- Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) microfluidic devices are widely used in drug screening and organ-on-a-chip systems.
- Current organ-on-a-chip systems often rely on artificial channels made of PDMS, limiting their biological relevance.
- Existing microfluidic devices have elucidated cell functions but struggle to replicate complex biological circulation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a novel microfluidic device constructed entirely from cells, eliminating the need for PDMS.
- To create perfusable luminal structures within cell sheets for advanced biological models.
- To advance the development of more biologically relevant organ-on-a-chip systems.
Main Methods:
- Combined cell sheet technology with microtitanium wires to fabricate microfluidic channels.
- Placed microtitanium wires between stacked fibroblast cell sheets to guide lumen formation.
- Removed microwires after cell adhesion to leave a hollow, arteriolar-sized luminal structure.
Main Results:
- Successfully created luminal structures with diameters approximating arterioles (50-200 μm).
- Demonstrated successful perfusion of the cell-only luminal structures using a perfusion device.
- Showed that culture solution can be efficiently supplied to high-density cell sheets.
Conclusions:
- The proposed biofabrication technology enables the creation of cell-only microfluidic devices.
- This method allows for the construction of perfusable, arteriolar-sized lumens within cell constructs.
- The technology holds significant potential for advancing organ-on-a-chip system development.
