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Revealing Electromechanical Control of Tissue Homeostasis Using a Two-Layer Microfluidic Device
Xiaolu Jiang1, Ping Xu1, Feng Feng1
1School of Life Sciences, Westlake University.
Journal of Visualized Experiments : Jove
|October 6, 2025
Summary
Researchers developed a novel microfluidic device to study how electrical currents affect epithelial tissues. This new tool allows for precise control of ion flow, revealing electrical influences on cell behavior and tissue homeostasis.
Area of Science:
- Bioengineering
- Cell Biology
- Physiology
Background:
- Electric fields and currents influence cell behavior and fate.
- Existing microfluidic devices are limited for studying tissue homeostasis due to incompatible geometry.
- Tissue homeostasis involves apico-basal polarity and transepithelial potential difference (TEPD).
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a microfluidic device for applying physiological ion currents perpendicular to epithelial cell layers.
- To investigate the electrical regulation of tissue steady states by perturbing TEPD.
- To provide a tool for studying electrical effects in tissue homeostasis and tissue engineering.
Main Methods:
- A two-layer UV-curable polymer microfluidic device with a polyacrylamide gel substrate.
- Application of ion currents perpendicular to confluent epithelial cell layers.
- Compatibility with confocal live-cell imaging and Traction Force Microscopy.
Main Results:
- The device induces uniform ion currents across centimetric-scale epithelial cell layers.
- Cell proliferation, extrusion, and migration are collectively influenced by current direction.
- A new tissue state is induced with altered cell-cell interactions, cell events, and tissue structures.
Conclusions:
- The novel microfluidic device enables the study of electrical regulation in tissue homeostasis.
- Electrically controlled cell behaviors are linked to mechanically induced stress and cellular responses.
- This technology supports mechanobiology, bioengineering, and tissue engineering applications.
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