Elucidating in vitro cell-cell interaction using a microfluidic coculture system

Authors: Wei, Cheng-Wey; Cheng, Ji-Yen; Young, Tai-Horng

Source: Biomedical Microdevices, Volume 8, Number 1, March 2006 , pp. 65-71(7)

Publisher: Springer

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Abstract:

This work presents a novel microfluidic coculture system that improves the accuracy of evaluating the interaction between cocultured cell types. A microfluidic coculture chip, fabricated by CO₂ laser direct-writing on polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), was designed to separate two cell types using a microchannel, while permitting transfer of cellular media. The system has two up-stream wells and five down-stream wells. As an example, released inflammatory cytokines (e.g., interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α)), activated in up-stream macrophages, flow through a microfluidic mixing system, generating linear concentration gradients in down-stream wells and inducing down-stream osteoblasts to release prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), a well-known bone resorption marker. Osteoblast viability was assessed by 3-[4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. This novel coculture system can be applied to evaluate cell-cell interaction while physically separating interacting cells.

Keywords: Microfluidic; Coculture; Cell-cell interaction

Document Type: Research article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10544-006-6384-8

Affiliations: 1: Email: jycheng@gate.sinica.edu.tw

Publication date: 2006-03-01