Reversible and reusable compartmentalized thermoplastic chip for coculture of dorsal root ganglion neurons

Compartmentalized microfluidic chips play an important role in understanding the cellular mechanisms involved in neurodegenerative disorders. Dorsal root ganglia are a well-established model for modelling the peripheral nervous system (PNS), but their development on a chip remains limited. Furthermore, it would be beneficial for the devices to be openable in order to access the biological material inside for analyses. Easy to prototype and biocompatible, styrenic block copolymers (SBC) are an alternative to polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) that offer both reversible and permanent bonding properties. This paper presents a fast and straightforward method to produce compartmentalized SBC chips. The study validates the culture of murine dorsal root ganglia explants, comparing it to the standard methods, to obtain a model of the PNS. Moreover, the reversible bonding properties of the SBC permit the reuse of the chip with a quick and easy cleaning protocol. It provides direct access to the cells, opening the way for imaging and molecular biology analysis. The comparison of the resources required to produce PDMS and SBC chips highlights the importance of moving to reusable devices. These detachable, easy-to-manufacture and sustainable all-thermoplastic platforms provide an alternative way of prototyping compartmentalized devices for in vitro PNS modeling.