Microfluidically-generated Encapsulated Spheroids (μ-GELS): An All-Aqueous Droplet Microfluidics Platform for...

Area of Science:

• Biotechnology
• Cell Biology
• Microfluidics

Background:

• Spheroids are vital in vitro tumor models, but current methods often use toxic organic solvents.
• Existing all-aqueous methods struggle with complete on-chip hydrogel gelation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an enhanced droplet microfluidic platform for all-aqueous hydrogel multicellular spheroid (MCS) formation.
• To enable on-chip gelation of MCSs without cytotoxic organic solvents.
• To validate the platform for cell viability and cancer drug testing.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a droplet microfluidic system to generate dextran-alginate droplets with MCF-7 breast cancer cells.
• Incorporated a polyethylene glycol continuous phase and a calcium chloride crosslinking solution.
• Employed an embedded capillary at a second junction to delay gelation and prevent channel clogging.

Main Results:

• Achieved on-chip gelation of all-aqueous hydrogel MCSs.
• Demonstrated MCS viability for up to 6 days in drug-free conditions.
• Confirmed the platform's utility for cancer drug screening with doxorubicin, showing dose-dependent cell death.

Conclusions:

• The enhanced droplet microfluidic platform successfully forms viable, all-aqueous hydrogel MCSs on-chip.
• This method offers a non-cytotoxic alternative for spheroid generation and cancer drug testing.
• The system holds promise for improved in vitro tumor modeling and pharmaceutical screening.