Interconnected multi-well device with three-dimensional shaker-driven culture medium circulation for use as a...

Area of Science:

• Biotechnology
• In vitro modeling
• Drug discovery

Background:

• Multi-organ microphysiological systems (MPSs) are crucial for studying organ interactions.
• Existing MPSs often face challenges with complexity and low throughput due to pump-dependent medium circulation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a simplified, high-throughput multi-organ MPS device.
• To eliminate the need for pumps in medium circulation within MPS devices.

Main Methods:

• Developed an interconnected multi-well device utilizing a 3D shaker for pump-free medium circulation.
• The device integrates cell-culture cups and interconnected wells, accommodating various culture methods.
• Demonstrated medium and immune cell circulation and evaluated capecitabine's anticancer effects in a liver-cancer model.

Main Results:

• The novel device successfully circulated medium and immune cells.
• Successfully modeled drug efficacy using a liver-cancer co-culture system.
• The device demonstrated adaptability to 2D and spheroid cultures and supported cell culture inserts.

Conclusions:

• The interconnected multi-well device offers a user-friendly, adaptable, and high-throughput solution for in vitro organ interaction research.
• This pump-free MPS approach shows significant potential for advancing drug development and toxicological studies.