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Updated: May 28, 2025
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Fabrication of Extracellular Matrix-derived Foams and Microcarriers as Tissue-specific Cell Culture and Delivery Platforms
Published on: April 11, 2017
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A Simple, Cost-Effective Microfluidic Device Using a 3D Cross-Flow T-Junction for Producing Decellularized
Farah Kamar1, Connor J Gillis2, Grace Bischof3
1Department of Medical Biophysics, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada.
Journal of Biomedical Materials Research. Part A
|February 13, 2025
Summary
Researchers developed a new microfluidic method to create small, uniform microcarriers from decellularized adipose tissue. These extracellular matrix microcarriers effectively support human mesenchymal stromal cell growth in bioreactors, advancing cell therapy manufacturing.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Tissue Engineering
- Cell Therapy Manufacturing
Background:
- Human mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) hold significant therapeutic potential but face manufacturing challenges due to traditional 2D culture limitations.
- Existing extracellular matrix (ECM)-derived microcarriers, while promising, are often large and non-uniform, hindering optimal MSC expansion and cell delivery.
- There is a need for scalable, reproducible methods to produce small, uniform microcarriers for advanced MSC applications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a novel microfluidic approach for producing small, uniform, ECM-derived microcarriers.
- To evaluate the capacity of these microcarriers to support human adipose-derived stromal cell (hASC) growth and ECM production in vitro.
- To establish a cost-effective and reusable platform for MSC expansion.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of microcarriers using a modified 3D T-junction microfluidic device with decellularized adipose tissue (DAT) as the ECM source.
- Optimization of flow rates and photo-crosslinking with rose bengal to achieve desired microcarrier size and stability.
- In vitro culture of hASCs on the developed microcarriers within spinner flask bioreactors for 14 days.
Main Results:
- Successful generation of small (mean diameter 196 ± 47 μm) and monodisperse microcarriers using the microfluidic device.
- Demonstrated high production rates and cost-effectiveness of the microfluidic fabrication method.
- Confirmed robust attachment, proliferation, and ECM production of hASCs on DAT microcarriers over 14 days in bioreactors.
Conclusions:
- The novel microfluidic device enables efficient production of uniform, cell-supportive ECM microcarriers.
- These microcarriers represent a promising platform for scalable MSC expansion and potential for minimally invasive cell delivery.
- The developed method offers a cost-effective and reusable solution for advancing cell therapy manufacturing.
