Danny van Noort

A novel 3D mammalian cell perfusion-culture system in microfluidic channels

Mammalian cells cultured on 2D surfaces in microfluidic channels are increasingly used in drug development and biological research applications. These systems would have more biological or clinical relevance if the cells exhibit 3D phenotypes similar to the cells in vivo. We have developed a microfluidic channel based system that allows cells to be perfusion-cultured in 3D by supporting them with adequate 3D cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions. The maximal cell-cell interaction was achieved by perfusion-seeding cells through an array of micropillars; and 3D cell-matrix interactions were achieved by a polyelectrolyte complex coacervation process to form a thin layer of matrix conforming to the 3D cell shapes. Carcinoma cell lines (HepG2, MCF7), primary differentiated (hepatocytes) and primary progenitor cells (bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells) were perfusion-cultured for 72 hours to 1 week in the microfluidic channel, which preserved their 3D cyto-architecture and cell-specific functions or differentiation competence. This transparent 3D microfluidic channel-based cell culture system also allows direct optical monitoring of cellular events for a wide range of applications.

A gel-free 3D microfluidic cell culture system

3D microfluidic cell culture systems offer a biologically relevant model to conduct micro-scale mammalian cell-based research and applications. Various natural and synthetic hydrogels have been successfully incorporated into microfluidic systems to support mammalian cells in 3D. However, embedment of cells in hydrogels introduces operational complexity, potentially hinders mass transfer, and is not suitable for establishing cell-dense, ECM-poor constructs. We present here a gel-free method for seeding and culturing mammalian cells three-dimensionally in a microfluidic channel. A combination of transient inter-cellular polymeric linker and micro-fabricated pillar arrays was used for the in situ formation and immobilization of 3D multi-cellular aggregates in a microfluidic channel. 3D cellular constructs formed this way are relieved of hydrogel embedment for cellular support. Two mammalian cell lines (A549 and C3A) and a primary mammalian cell (bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells) were cultured in the gel-free 3D microfluidic cell culture system. The cells displayed 3D cellular morphology, cellular functions and differentiation capability, affirming the versatility of the system as a 3D cell perfusion culture platform for anchorage-dependent mammalian cells.

Engineering a scaffold-free 3D tumor model for in vitro drug penetration studies

Three-dimensional (3D) in vitro cultures are recognized for recapitulating the physiological microenvironment and exhibiting high concordance with in vivo conditions. In cancer research, the multi-cellular tumor spheroid (MCTS) model is an established 3D cancer model that exhibits microenvironmental heterogeneity close to that of tumors in vivo. However, the established process of MCTS formation is time-consuming and often uncontrolled. Here, we report a method for engineering MCTS using a transient inter-cellular linker which facilitates cell-cell interaction. Using C3A cells (a hepatocellular carcinoma cell line) as a model, we formed linker-engineered spheroids which grew to a diameter of 250 microm in 7 days, as compared to 16 days using conventional non-adherent culture. Seven-day old linker-engineered spheroids exhibited characteristics of mature MCTS, including spheroid morphology, gene expression profile, cell-cell interaction, extracellular matrix secretion, proliferation and oxygen concentration gradients, and cellular functions. Linker-engineered spheroids also displayed a resistance to drug penetration similar to mature MCTS, with dose-dependent extracellular accumulation of the drug. The linker-engineered spheroids thus provide a reliable accelerated 3D in vitro tumor model for drug penetration studies.

Stem cells in microfluidics

With the introduction of microtechnology and microfluidic platforms for cell culture, stem cell research can be put into a new context. Inside microfluidics, microenvironments can be more precisely controlled and their influence on cell fate studied. Microfluidic devices can be made transparent and the cells monitored real time by imaging, using fluorescence markers to probe cell functions and cell fate. This article gives a perspective on the yet untapped utility of microfluidic devices for stem cell research. It will guide the biologists through some basic microtechnology and the application of microfluidics to cell research, as well as highlight to the engineers the cell culture capabilities of microfluidics.

Porous gold surfaces for biosensor applications

The sensitivity of optical biosensors where the detection takes place on a planar gold surface can be improved by making the surface porous. The porosity allows a larger number of ligands per surface area resulting in larger optical shifts when interacting with specifically binding analyte molecules. The porous gold was deposited as a thin layer on a planar gold surface by electrochemical deposition in a solution of tetrachloroaurate and lead acetate. A protein, streptavidin, was adsorbed into the formed porous layer and the time course of the adsorption was monitored by in-situ ellipsometry. When the porous layer was 500 nm in thickness a six-fold increase of the ellipsometric response was obtained compared with a planar gold surface. The dependency of porosity and layer thickness was explained with a mathematical model of the gold/porous gold/protein/solution system.

Monitoring specific interaction of low molecular weight biomolecules on oxidized porous silicon using ellipsometry

Porous silicon dioxide surfaces have been used for monitoring the specific affinity binding of low molecular weight molecules to streptavidin. Streptavidin was immobilized to the porous silicon dioxide surface by spontaneous adsorption at pH 7.4. Binding of biotin and an oligopeptide synthesized by means of combinatorial chemistry were monitored with an in situ null ellipsometer. Measurements were also done with hydroxy-azobenzene-2-carboxylic acid and DL-6-8-thioctic acid amide. The performance of porous silicon dioxide as a potential surface in biosensor applications was compared with a planar silicon dioxide surface. Porous silicon dioxide showed a 10-fold amplification of the response compared to planar silicon dioxide. It was possible to monitor the binding of biotin and the oligopeptide in the concentration range 2-40 microM. A response time as low as 30 s was obtained for the oligopeptide at 40 microM.

The controlled presentation of TGF-β1 to hepatocytes in a 3D-microfluidic cell culture system

3D-microfluidic cell culture systems (3D-microFCCSs) support hepatocyte functions in vitro which can be further enhanced by controlled presentation of 100-200 pg/ml TGF-beta1, thus mimicking the roles of supporting cells in co-cultures. Controlled presentation of TGF-beta1 is achieved by either direct perfusion or in situ controlled release from gelatin microspheres immobilized in the 3D-microFCCS. Primary hepatocytes cultured for 7 days with the in situ controlled released TGF-beta1 exhibited up to four-fold higher albumin secretion and two-fold higher phase I/II enzymatic activities, significantly improving the sensitivity of hepatocytes to acetaminophen-mediated hepatotoxicity, compared to hepatocytes cultured with directly perfused TGF-beta1 or without TGF-beta1. The controlled presentation of TGF-beta1 enhanced hepatocyte functions in microfluidic systems without the complications of co-cultures, allowing for simplifications in drug testing and other hepatocyte-based applications.

A multishear microfluidic device for quantitative analysis of calcium dynamics in osteoblasts.

Microfluidics is a convenient platform to study the influences of fluid shear stress on calcium dynamics. Fluidic shear stress has been proven to affect bone cell functions and remodelling. We have developed a microfluidic system which can generate four shear flows in one device as a means to study cytosolic calcium concentration ([Ca(2+)](c)) dynamics of osteoblasts. Four shear forces were achieved by having four cell culture chambers with different widths while resistance correction channels compensated for the overall resistance to allow equal flow distribution towards the chambers. Computational simulation of the local shear stress distribution highlighted the preferred section in the cell chamber to measure the calcium dynamics. Osteoblasts showed an [Ca(2+)](c) increment proportional to the intensity of the shear stress from 0.03 to 0.30 Pa. A delay in response was observed with an activation threshold between 0.03 and 0.06 Pa. With computational modelling, our microfluidic device can offer controllable multishear stresses and perform quantitative comparisons of shear stress-induced intensity change of calcium in osteoblasts.

DNA computing in microreactors

The goal of this research is to improve the modular stability and programmability of DNA-based computers and in a second step towards optical programmable DNA computing. The main focus here is on hydrodynamic stability. Clockable microreactors can be connected in various ways to solve combinatorial optimisation problems, such as Maximum Clique or 3-SAT. This work demonstrates by construction how one micro-reactor design can be programmed to solve any instance of Maximum Clique up to its given maximum size (N). It reports on an implementation of the architecture proposed previously. This contrasts with conventional DNA computing where the individual sequence of biochemical operations depends on the specific problem. In this pilot study we are tackling a graph for the Maximum Clique problem with N<EQ12, with a special emphasis for Nequals6. Furthermore, the design of the DNA solution space will be presented, which is symbolized by a set of bit-strings (words).

A thin-walled polydimethylsiloxane bioreactor for high-density hepatocyte sandwich culture

In vitro drug testing requires long‐term maintenance of hepatocyte liver specific functions. Hepatocytes cultured at a higher seeding density in a sandwich configuration exhibit an increased level of liver specific functions when compared to low density cultures due to the better cell to cell contacts that promote long term maintenance of polarity and liver specific functions. However, culturing hepatocytes at high seeding densities in a standard 24‐well plate poses problems in terms of the mass transport of nutrients and oxygen to the cells. In view of this drawback, we have developed a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) bioreactor that was able to maintain the long‐term liver specific functions of a hepatocyte sandwich culture at a high seeding density. The bioreactor was fabricated with PDMS, an oxygen permeable material, which allowed direct oxygenation and perfusion to take place simultaneously. The mass transport of oxygen and the level of shear stress acting on the cells were analyzed by computational fluid dynamics (CFD). The combination of both direct oxygenation and perfusion has a synergistic effect on the liver specific function of a high density hepatocyte sandwich culture over a period of 9 days. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2013; 110: 1663–1673.