Open Microfluidic Cell Culture in Hydrogels Enabled by 3D-Printed Molds

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Engineering
• Tissue Engineering
• Microfluidics

Background:

• In vitro cell culture models are crucial for studying cellular behavior and disease mechanisms.
• Existing microfluidic systems can be complex and require specialized equipment.
• There is a need for accessible, versatile cell culture platforms that mimic physiological structures.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a simplified method for creating open microfluidic cell cultures using 3D-printed molds.
• To demonstrate the fabrication of various tissue-mimicking structures in different hydrogels.
• To validate the use of these structures for in vitro biological studies, including modeling blood vessels.

Main Methods:

• Utilized 3D-printed molds to create open microfluidic channels and wells in hydrogels (agarose, gelatin, collagen type I).
• Fabricated open channels with varying diameters (400 µm to 4 mm) and collagen densities (2-4 mg/mL).
• Generated blood vessel mimics using human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) in open channels and subjected them to hypoxia.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated successful fabrication of diverse geometries, including open channels and various well shapes, in multiple hydrogels.
• Achieved high cell viability (>89%) in blood vessel mimics with diameters of 800 µm and 2 mm.
• Observed significant reductions in cell viability (8.3%) and CD31 expression (7.4%) under hypoxic conditions compared to normoxia.

Conclusions:

• The 3D-printed mold method offers a simpler, more accessible approach to creating versatile in vitro tissue mimics.
• This technique enables the generation of physiologically relevant structures for studying cellular responses to various conditions, such as hypoxia.
• The developed platform holds promise for advancing in vitro research in cell biology, disease modeling, and drug discovery.