Prototyping a Versatile Two-Layer Multi-Channel Microfluidic Device for Direct-Contact Cell-Vessel Co-Culture

Chen, Li-Jiun; Raut, Bibek; Nagai, Nobuhiro; Abe, Toshiaki; Kaji, Hirokazu

doi:10.3390/mi11010079

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Prototyping a Versatile Two-Layer Multi-Channel Microfluidic Device for Direct-Contact Cell-Vessel Co-Culture

by

Li-Jiun Chen

¹,

Bibek Raut

¹

,

Nobuhiro Nagai

²,

Toshiaki Abe

² and

Hirokazu Kaji

^1,3,*

¹

Department of Finemechanics, Graduate School of Engineering, Tohoku University, 6-6-01 Aramaki, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8579, Japan

²

Division of Clinical Cell Therapy, United Centers for Advanced Research and Translational Medicine (ART), Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-1 Seiryo, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8575, Japan

³

Department of Biomedical Engineering, Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering, Tohoku University, 6-6-01 Aramaki, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8579, Japan

^*

Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Micromachines 2020, 11(1), 79; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi11010079

Submission received: 20 December 2019 / Revised: 7 January 2020 / Accepted: 8 January 2020 / Published: 10 January 2020

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Organs-on-chips)

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Abstract

Microfluidic devices are gaining increasing popularity due to their wide applications in various research areas. Herein, we propose a two-layer multi-channel microfluidic device allowing for direct-contact cell-vessel co-culture. Using the device, we built a co-culture model of the outer blood-retina barrier (oBRB), mimicking the in vivo retinal pigment epithelial cells-Bruch membrane-fenestrated choroids. To demonstrate the versatility of the design, we further modified the device by inserting platinum electrodes for trans-epithelial electrical resistance (TEER) measurement, demonstrating the feasibility of on-chip assessment of the epithelial barrier integrity. Our proposed design allows for direct-contact co-culture of cell–cell or cell–vessel, modifiable for real-time evaluation of the state of the epithelial monolayers.

Keywords: microfluidics; microfabrication; organ-on-a-chip; trans-epithelial electrical resistance; multi-culture

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MDPI and ACS Style

Chen, L.-J.; Raut, B.; Nagai, N.; Abe, T.; Kaji, H. Prototyping a Versatile Two-Layer Multi-Channel Microfluidic Device for Direct-Contact Cell-Vessel Co-Culture. Micromachines 2020, 11, 79. https://doi.org/10.3390/mi11010079

AMA Style

Chen L-J, Raut B, Nagai N, Abe T, Kaji H. Prototyping a Versatile Two-Layer Multi-Channel Microfluidic Device for Direct-Contact Cell-Vessel Co-Culture. Micromachines. 2020; 11(1):79. https://doi.org/10.3390/mi11010079

Chicago/Turabian Style

Chen, Li-Jiun, Bibek Raut, Nobuhiro Nagai, Toshiaki Abe, and Hirokazu Kaji. 2020. "Prototyping a Versatile Two-Layer Multi-Channel Microfluidic Device for Direct-Contact Cell-Vessel Co-Culture" Micromachines 11, no. 1: 79. https://doi.org/10.3390/mi11010079

APA Style

Chen, L.-J., Raut, B., Nagai, N., Abe, T., & Kaji, H. (2020). Prototyping a Versatile Two-Layer Multi-Channel Microfluidic Device for Direct-Contact Cell-Vessel Co-Culture. Micromachines, 11(1), 79. https://doi.org/10.3390/mi11010079

Note that from the first issue of 2016, this journal uses article numbers instead of page numbers. See further details here.

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Prototyping a Versatile Two-Layer Multi-Channel Microfluidic Device for Direct-Contact Cell-Vessel Co-Culture

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