Microfluidic Platform for Predicting Nanoparticle Dynamics in Cancer Therapeutics.

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Nanotechnology
• Cancer Research

Background:

• Microfluidic devices offer a controlled environment for studying cellular interactions.
• Nanoparticles (NPs) show potential in targeted cancer therapy, but their behavior in biological systems needs thorough investigation.
• Developing cost-effective and adaptable platforms is crucial for advancing cancer treatment research.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design a simple, cost-effective microfluidic tumor-on-a-chip model.
• To investigate the penetration and behavior of synthetic and green synthesized nanoparticles (NPs) for cancer treatment.
• To evaluate the efficacy of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) on breast cancer cell viability.

Main Methods:

• Characterization of synthetic Yellow-Green and Red FluoSphere NPs and green synthesized AgNPs using Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS), zeta potential analysis, UV-Vis spectrophotometry, FTIR, XRD, and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM).
• Design and utilization of a microfluidic tumor-on-a-chip device.
• Assessment of NP penetration using Fluorescence Microscopy and cell viability using MTT assay and Live/dead kit on MCF7 breast cancer cells.

Main Results:

• Red FluoSpheres exhibited lower penetration intensity (42%) compared to Yellow-Green FluoSpheres (49%).
• Off-chip MTT assay showed highest cell viability at 35% with a 2:1 ratio of AgNPs.
• On-chip experiments indicated cell viability at 30% with 100 µM AgNPs, verified by Live/dead kit.

Conclusions:

• The developed microfluidic tumor-on-a-chip is a convenient and cost-effective platform for NP-based cancer research.
• Both synthetic and green synthesized NPs demonstrate potential for cancer treatment applications.
• Further investigation into various NP formulations is warranted for optimizing chemotherapy and related applications.