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Qian K, Wang Y, Lei Y, Yang Q, Yao C. An experimental and theoretical study on cell swelling for osmotic imbalance induced by electroporation. Bioelectrochemistry 2024; 157:108637. [PMID: 38215652 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioelechem.2023.108637] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2023] [Revised: 12/02/2023] [Accepted: 12/28/2023] [Indexed: 01/14/2024]
Abstract
The cellular membrane serves as a pivotal barrier in regulating intra- and extracellular matter exchange. Disruption of this barrier through pulsed electric fields (PEFs) induces the transmembrane transport of ions and molecules, creating a concentration gradient that subsequently results in the imbalance of cellular osmolality. In this study, a multiphysics model was developed to simulate the electromechanical response of cells exposed to microsecond pulsed electric fields (μsPEFs). Within the proposed model, the diffusion coefficient of the cellular membrane for various ions was adjusted based on electropore density. Cellular osmolality was governed and described using Van't Hoff theory, subsequently converted to loop stress to dynamically represent the cell swelling process. Validation of the model was conducted through a hypotonic experiment and simulation at 200 mOsm/kg, revealing a 14.2% increase in the cell's equivalent radius, thereby confirming the feasibility of the cell mechanical model. With the transmembrane transport of ions induced by the applied μsPEF, the hoop stress acting on the cellular membrane reached 179.95 Pa, and the cell equivalent radius increased by 11.0% when the extra-cellular medium was supplied with normal saline. The multiphysics model established in this study accurately predicts the dynamic changes in cell volume resulting from osmotic imbalance induced by PEF action. This model holds theoretical significance, offering valuable references for research on drug delivery and tumor microenvironment modulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kun Qian
- State Key Laboratory of Power Transmission Equipment Technology, School of Electrical Engineering, Chongqing University, No.174 Shazhengjie Road, Chongqing 400044, China
| | - Yancheng Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Power Transmission Equipment Technology, School of Electrical Engineering, Chongqing University, No.174 Shazhengjie Road, Chongqing 400044, China
| | - Yizhen Lei
- State Key Laboratory of Power Transmission Equipment Technology, School of Electrical Engineering, Chongqing University, No.174 Shazhengjie Road, Chongqing 400044, China
| | - Qiang Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Power Transmission Equipment Technology, School of Electrical Engineering, Chongqing University, No.174 Shazhengjie Road, Chongqing 400044, China
| | - Chenguo Yao
- State Key Laboratory of Power Transmission Equipment Technology, School of Electrical Engineering, Chongqing University, No.174 Shazhengjie Road, Chongqing 400044, China.
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Duckert B, Lambrechts D, Braeken D, Lagae L, Fauvart M. Optimizing mRNA transfection on a high-definition electroporation microelectrode array results in 98% efficiency and multiplexed gene delivery. Biosens Bioelectron 2023; 241:115634. [PMID: 37696220 DOI: 10.1016/j.bios.2023.115634] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2023] [Revised: 08/15/2023] [Accepted: 08/23/2023] [Indexed: 09/13/2023]
Abstract
Spatially resolved transfection, intracellular delivery of proteins and nucleic acids, has the potential to drastically speed up the discovery of biologically active cargos, for instance for the development of cell therapies or new genome engineering tools. We recently demonstrated the use of a high-density microelectrode array for the targeted electrotransfection of cells grown on its surface, a process called High-Definition Electroporation (HD-EP). We also developed a framework based on Design of Experiments to quickly establish optimized electroporation conditions across five different electrical pulse parameters. Here, we used this framework to optimize the transfection efficiency of primary fibroblasts with a mCherry-encoding mRNA, resulting in 98% of the cells expressing the desired fluorescent protein without any sign of cell death. That transfection yield is the highest reported so far for electroporation. Moreover, varying the pulse number was shown to modulate the fluorescence intensity of cells, indicating the dosage-controlled delivery of mRNA and protein expression. Finally, exploiting the single-electrode addressability of the microelectrode array, we demonstrated spatially resolved, high efficiency, sequential transfection of cells with three distinct mRNAs. Since the chip can be easily redesigned to feature a much large number of electrodes, we anticipate that this methodology will enable the development of dedicated screening platforms for analysis of mRNA variants at scale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bastien Duckert
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, KU Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200d, 3001, Leuven, Belgium; imec, Kapeldreef 75, 3001, Leuven, Belgium.
| | | | | | - Liesbet Lagae
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, KU Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200d, 3001, Leuven, Belgium; imec, Kapeldreef 75, 3001, Leuven, Belgium.
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Asadipour K, Zhou C, Yi V, Beebe SJ, Xiao S. Ultra-Low Intensity Post-Pulse Affects Cellular Responses Caused by Nanosecond Pulsed Electric Fields. Bioengineering (Basel) 2023; 10:1069. [PMID: 37760171 PMCID: PMC10525734 DOI: 10.3390/bioengineering10091069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2023] [Revised: 09/07/2023] [Accepted: 09/08/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
High-intensity nanosecond pulse electric fields (nsPEF) can preferentially induce various effects, most notably regulated cell death and tumor elimination. These effects have almost exclusively been shown to be associated with nsPEF waveforms defined by pulse duration, rise time, amplitude (electric field), and pulse number. Other factors, such as low-intensity post-pulse waveform, have been completely overlooked. In this study, we show that post-pulse waveforms can alter the cell responses produced by the primary pulse waveform and can even elicit unique cellular responses, despite the primary pulse waveform being nearly identical. We employed two commonly used pulse generator designs, namely the Blumlein line (BL) and the pulse forming line (PFL), both featuring nearly identical 100 ns pulse durations, to investigate various cellular effects. Although the primary pulse waveforms were nearly identical in electric field and frequency distribution, the post-pulses differed between the two designs. The BL's post-pulse was relatively long-lasting (~50 µs) and had an opposite polarity to the main pulse, whereas the PFL's post-pulse was much shorter (~2 µs) and had the same polarity as the main pulse. Both post-pulse amplitudes were less than 5% of the main pulse, but the different post-pulses caused distinctly different cellular responses. The thresholds for dissipation of the mitochondrial membrane potential, loss of viability, and increase in plasma membrane PI permeability all occurred at lower pulsing numbers for the PFL than the BL, while mitochondrial reactive oxygen species generation occurred at similar pulsing numbers for both pulser designs. The PFL decreased spare respiratory capacity (SRC), whereas the BL increased SRC. Only the PFL caused a biphasic effect on trans-plasma membrane electron transport (tPMET). These studies demonstrate, for the first time, that conditions resulting from low post-pulse intensity charging have a significant impact on cell responses and should be considered when comparing the results from similar pulse waveforms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kamal Asadipour
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA 23529, USA;
- Frank Reidy Research Center for Bioelectrics, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA 23529, USA; (C.Z.); (S.J.B.)
| | - Carol Zhou
- Frank Reidy Research Center for Bioelectrics, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA 23529, USA; (C.Z.); (S.J.B.)
| | - Vincent Yi
- Ocean Lakes High School, Virginia Beach, VA 23454, USA;
| | - Stephen J. Beebe
- Frank Reidy Research Center for Bioelectrics, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA 23529, USA; (C.Z.); (S.J.B.)
| | - Shu Xiao
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA 23529, USA;
- Frank Reidy Research Center for Bioelectrics, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA 23529, USA; (C.Z.); (S.J.B.)
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Duckert B, Fauvart M, Goos P, Stakenborg T, Lagae L, Braeken D. High-definition electroporation: Precise and efficient transfection on a microelectrode array. J Control Release 2022; 352:61-73. [PMID: 36208793 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2022.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2022] [Revised: 09/14/2022] [Accepted: 10/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Intracellular delivery is critical for a plethora of biomedical applications, including mRNA transfection and gene editing. High transfection efficiency and low cytotoxicity, however, are often beyond the capabilities of bulk techniques and synonymous with extensive empirical optimization. Moreover, bulk techniques are not amenable to large screening applications. Here, we propose an expeditious workflow for achieving optimal electroporation-based intracellular delivery. Using the multiplexing ability of a high-definition microelectrode array (MEA) chip, we performed a sequence of carefully designed experiments, multiple linear regression modelling and validation to obtain optimal conditions for on-chip electroporation of primary fibroblasts. Five electric pulse parameters were varied to generate 32 different electroporation conditions. The effect of the parameters on cytotoxicity and intracellular delivery could be evaluated with just two experiments. Most successful electroporation conditions resulted in no cell death, highlighting the low cytotoxicity of on-chip electroporation. The resulting delivery models were then used to achieve dosage-controlled delivery of small molecules, delivery of Cas9-GFP single-guide RNA complexes and transfection with an mCherry-encoding mRNA, resulting in previously unreported high-efficiency, single-cell transfection on MEAs: cells expressed mCherry on 81% of the actuated electrodes, underscoring the vast potential of CMOS MEA technology for the transfection of primary cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bastien Duckert
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, KU Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200d, 3001, Leuven, Belgium; imec, Kapeldreef 75, 3001, Leuven, Belgium.
| | | | - Peter Goos
- Department of Biosystems, KU Leuven, Willem de Croylaan 42, 3001, Leuven, Belgium; Department of Engineering Management, University of Antwerp, Prinsstraat 13, 2000, Antwerp, Belgium.
| | | | - Liesbet Lagae
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, KU Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200d, 3001, Leuven, Belgium; imec, Kapeldreef 75, 3001, Leuven, Belgium.
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Abstract
Electroporation (EP) is a commonly used strategy to increase cell permeability for intracellular cargo delivery or irreversible cell membrane disruption using electric fields. In recent years, EP performance has been improved by shrinking electrodes and device structures to the microscale. Integration with microfluidics has led to the design of devices performing static EP, where cells are fixed in a defined region, or continuous EP, where cells constantly pass through the device. Each device type performs superior to conventional, macroscale EP devices while providing additional advantages in precision manipulation (static EP) and increased throughput (continuous EP). Microscale EP is gentle on cells and has enabled more sensitive assaying of cells with novel applications. In this Review, we present the physical principles of microscale EP devices and examine design trends in recent years. In addition, we discuss the use of reversible and irreversible EP in the development of therapeutics and analysis of intracellular contents, among other noteworthy applications. This Review aims to inform and encourage scientists and engineers to expand the use of efficient and versatile microscale EP technologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sung-Eun Choi
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 North Charles Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21218, United States
| | - Harrison Khoo
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 North Charles Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21218, United States
| | - Soojung Claire Hur
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 North Charles Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21218, United States
- Institute for NanoBioTechnology, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 North Charles Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21218, United States
- Department of Oncology, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 North Charles Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21218, United States
- Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University, 401 North Broadway, Baltimore, Maryland 21231, United States
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Scuderi M, Dermol-Černe J, Amaral da Silva C, Muralidharan A, Boukany PE, Rems L. Models of electroporation and the associated transmembrane molecular transport should be revisited. Bioelectrochemistry 2022; 147:108216. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bioelechem.2022.108216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2022] [Revised: 07/19/2022] [Accepted: 07/20/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
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Van Hoeck J, Braeckmans K, De Smedt SC, Raemdonck K. Non-viral siRNA delivery to T cells: Challenges and opportunities in cancer immunotherapy. Biomaterials 2022; 286:121510. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2022.121510] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2021] [Revised: 03/17/2022] [Accepted: 04/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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Abstract
In-cell structural biology aims at extracting structural information about proteins or nucleic acids in their native, cellular environment. This emerging field holds great promise and is already providing new facts and outlooks of interest at both fundamental and applied levels. NMR spectroscopy has important contributions on this stage: It brings information on a broad variety of nuclei at the atomic scale, which ensures its great versatility and uniqueness. Here, we detail the methods, the fundamental knowledge, and the applications in biomedical engineering related to in-cell structural biology by NMR. We finally propose a brief overview of the main other techniques in the field (EPR, smFRET, cryo-ET, etc.) to draw some advisable developments for in-cell NMR. In the era of large-scale screenings and deep learning, both accurate and qualitative experimental evidence are as essential as ever to understand the interior life of cells. In-cell structural biology by NMR spectroscopy can generate such a knowledge, and it does so at the atomic scale. This review is meant to deliver comprehensive but accessible information, with advanced technical details and reflections on the methods, the nature of the results, and the future of the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francois-Xavier Theillet
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
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9
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Dielectrophoretic Manipulation of Cell Transfection Efficiency during Electroporation Using a Center Needle Electrode. APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/app11157015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Long duration electric pulses are frequently used to facilitate DNA electrotransfer into cells and tissues, while electroporation pulses can be combined with electrophoresis to maximize the transfection efficiency. In this work, we present the dielectrophoresis (DEP)-assisted methodology for electrotransfer of plasmid DNA (3.5 kbp pmaxGFP) into mammalian cells (CHO-K1). A prototype of an electroporation cuvette with center needle electrode for DEP-assisted transfection is presented resulting in a 1.4-fold of transfection efficiency increase compared to the electroporation-only procedure (1.4 kV/cm × 100 µs × 8). The efficiency of transfection has been compared between three DEP frequencies of 1, 100, and 1 MHz. Lastly, the effects of exposure time (1, 3, and 5 min) during the DEP application step have been determined. It is concluded that the proposed methodology and exposure setup allow a significant improvement of transfection efficiency and could be used as an alternative to the currently popular electrotransfection techniques.
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10
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Duckert B, Vinkx S, Braeken D, Fauvart M. Single-cell transfection technologies for cell therapies and gene editing. J Control Release 2020; 330:963-975. [PMID: 33160005 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2020.10.068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2020] [Revised: 10/30/2020] [Accepted: 10/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Advances in gene editing and cell therapies have recently led to outstanding clinical successes. However, the lack of a cost-effective manufacturing process prevents the democratization of these innovative medical tools. Due to the common use of viral vectors, the step of transfection in which cells are engineered to gain new functions, is a major bottleneck in making safe and affordable cell products. A promising opportunity lies in Single-Cell Transfection Technologies (SCTTs). SCTTs have demonstrated higher efficiency, safety and scalability than conventional transfection methods. They can also feature unique abilities such as substantial dosage control over the cargo delivery, single-cell addressability and integration in microdevices comprising multiple monitoring modalities. Unfortunately, the potential of SCTTs is not fully appreciated: they are most often restricted to research settings with little adoption in clinical settings. To encourage their adoption, we review and compare recent developments in SCTTs, and how they can enable selected clinical applications. To help bridge the gap between fundamental research and its translation to the clinic, we also describe how Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) can be integrated in the design of SCTTs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bastien Duckert
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, KU Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200d, 3001 Leuven, Belgium; IMEC, Kapeldreef 75, 3001 Leuven, Belgium.
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11
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Knappert J, McHardy C, Rauh C. Kinetic Modeling and Numerical Simulation as Tools to Scale Microalgae Cell Membrane Permeabilization by Means of Pulsed Electric Fields (PEF) From Lab to Pilot Plants. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2020; 8:209. [PMID: 32269988 PMCID: PMC7109448 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2020.00209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2019] [Accepted: 03/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Pulsed Electric Fields (PEF) is a promising technology for the gentle and energy efficient disruption of microalgae cells such as Chlorella vulgaris. The technology is based on the exposure of cells to a high voltage electric field, which causes the permeabilization of the cell membrane. Due to the dependency of the effective treatment conditions on the specific design of the treatment chamber, it is difficult to compare data obtained in different chambers or at different scales, e.g., lab or pilot scale. This problem can be overcome by the help of numerical simulation since it enables the accessibility to the local treatment conditions (electric field strength, temperature, flow field) inside a treatment chamber. To date, no kinetic models for the cell membrane permeabilization of microalgae are available what makes it difficult to decide if and in what extent local treatment conditions have an impact on the permeabilization. Therefore, a kinetic model for the perforation of microalgae cells of the species Chlorella vulgaris was developed in the present work. The model describes the fraction of perforated cells as a function of the electric field strength, the temperature and the treatment time by using data which were obtained in a milliliter scale batchwise treatment chamber. Thereafter, the model was implemented in a CFD simulation of a pilot-scale continuous treatment chamber with colinear electrode arrangement. The numerical results were compared to experimental measurements of cell permeabilization in a similar continuous treatment chamber. The predicted values and the experimental data agree reasonably well what demonstrates the validity of the proposed model. Therefore, it can be applied to any possible treatment chamber geometry and can be used as a tool for scaling cell permeabilization of microalgae by means of PEF from lab to pilot scale. The present work provides the first contribution showing the applicability of kinetic modeling and numerical simulation for designing PEF processes for the purpose of biorefining microalgae biomass. This can help to develop new processes and to reduce the costs for the development of new treatment chamber designs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justus Knappert
- Department of Food Biotechnology and Food Process Engineering, Technische Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Christopher McHardy
- Department of Food Biotechnology and Food Process Engineering, Technische Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Cornelia Rauh
- Department of Food Biotechnology and Food Process Engineering, Technische Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
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Kašėta V, Kaušylė A, Kavaliauskaitė J, Petreikytė M, Stirkė A, Biziulevičienė G. Detection of intracellular biomarkers in viable cells using millisecond pulsed electric fields. Exp Cell Res 2020; 389:111877. [DOI: 10.1016/j.yexcr.2020.111877] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2019] [Revised: 01/06/2020] [Accepted: 01/24/2020] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
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Sherba JJ, Hogquist S, Lin H, Shan JW, Shreiber DI, Zahn JD. The effects of electroporation buffer composition on cell viability and electro-transfection efficiency. Sci Rep 2020; 10:3053. [PMID: 32080269 PMCID: PMC7033148 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-59790-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2019] [Accepted: 02/03/2020] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Electroporation is an electro-physical, non-viral approach to perform DNA, RNA, and protein transfections of cells. Upon application of an electric field, the cell membrane is compromised, allowing the delivery of exogenous materials into cells. Cell viability and electro-transfection efficiency (eTE) are dependent on various experimental factors, including pulse waveform, vector concentration, cell type/density, and electroporation buffer properties. In this work, the effects of buffer composition on cell viability and eTE were systematically explored for plasmid DNA encoding green fluorescent protein following electroporation of 3T3 fibroblasts. A HEPES-based buffer was used in conjunction with various salts and sugars to modulate conductivity and osmolality, respectively. Pulse applications were chosen to maintain constant applied electrical energy (J) or total charge flux (C/m2). The energy of the pulse application primarily dictated cell viability, with Mg2+-based buffers expanding the reversible electroporation range. The enhancement of viability with Mg2+-based buffers led to the hypothesis that this enhancement is due to ATPase activation via re-establishing ionic homeostasis. We show preliminary evidence for this mechanism by demonstrating that the enhanced viability is eliminated by introducing lidocaine, an ATPase inhibitor. However, Mg2+ also hinders eTE compared to K+-based buffers. Collectively, the results demonstrate that the rational selection of pulsing conditions and buffer compositions are critical for the design of electroporation protocols to maximize viability and eTE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph J Sherba
- Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Piscataway, 08854, United States
| | - Stephen Hogquist
- Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Piscataway, 08854, United States
| | - Hao Lin
- Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Piscataway, 08854, United States
| | - Jerry W Shan
- Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Piscataway, 08854, United States
| | - David I Shreiber
- Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Piscataway, 08854, United States
| | - Jeffrey D Zahn
- Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Piscataway, 08854, United States.
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Wimberger T, Peham JR, Ehmoser EK, Wassermann KJ. Controllable cell manipulation in a microfluidic pipette-tip design using capacitive coupling of electric fields. LAB ON A CHIP 2019; 19:3997-4006. [PMID: 31667478 DOI: 10.1039/c9lc00927b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Systems designed toward cell manipulation by electric fields are inherently challenged by energy dissipation along the electrode-electrolyte interface. A promising remedy is the introduction of high-k electrode passivation, enabling efficient capacitive coupling of electric fields into biological samples. We present the implementation of this strategy in a reusable pipette tip design featuring a 10 μl chamber volume for life science applications. Prototype validation and comparison to conductive gold-coated electrodes reveal a consistent and controllable biological effect that significantly increases the reproducibility of lysis events. The system provides precise descriptions of HEK-293 lysis dependency to variables such as field strength, frequency, and conductivity. Over 80% of cells were reversibly electroporated with minimal electrical lysis over a broad range of field settings. Successful transfection requires exponential decay pulses and showcases how modulating capacitive coupling can advance our understanding of fundamental mechanics in the field of electroporation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Terje Wimberger
- Austrian Institute of Technology GmbH, Department for Health & Bioresources, Vienna, Austria. and University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Department for Nanobiotechnology, Vienna, Austria
| | - Johannes R Peham
- Austrian Institute of Technology GmbH, Department for Health & Bioresources, Vienna, Austria.
| | - Eva-Kathrin Ehmoser
- University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Department for Nanobiotechnology, Vienna, Austria
| | - Klemens J Wassermann
- Austrian Institute of Technology GmbH, Department for Health & Bioresources, Vienna, Austria.
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15
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Cronjé TF, Gaynor PT. Electroporation of Ishikawa cells: analysis by flow cytometry. IET Nanobiotechnol 2019; 13:58-65. [PMID: 30964039 PMCID: PMC8676626 DOI: 10.1049/iet-nbt.2018.5194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2018] [Revised: 07/04/2018] [Accepted: 07/31/2018] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Electroporation facilitates loading of cells with molecules and substances that are normally membrane impermeable. Flow cytometry is used in this study to examine the effects of the application of electroporation-level monopolar electric field pulses of varying electrical field strength on Ishikawa endometrial adenocarcinoma cells. Analysis of the fluorescence versus forward scatter plots corroborates the well-recognised threshold and cell size dependence characteristics of electroporation, but also shows the progression of cell lysis and generation of particulate material. Two 500 µs monopolar rectangular pulses ranging from 1.0 × 105 to 2.5 × 105 V/m were used to electroporate the cells. Electroporation yields (fraction of viable cells exhibiting significant propidium iodide uptake) ranged from 0 to 97%, with viability ranging between 78 and 34% over the electric field strength range tested. The higher electric field strength pulses not only reduced cell viability, but also generated a substantial amount of sub-cellular sized particulate material indicating cells have been physically disrupted enough to create these particles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas F Cronjé
- Department of Engineering and Architectural Studies, Ara Institute of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand.
| | - Paul T Gaynor
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
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16
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Stewart MP, Langer R, Jensen KF. Intracellular Delivery by Membrane Disruption: Mechanisms, Strategies, and Concepts. Chem Rev 2018; 118:7409-7531. [PMID: 30052023 PMCID: PMC6763210 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.7b00678] [Citation(s) in RCA: 382] [Impact Index Per Article: 63.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Intracellular delivery is a key step in biological research and has enabled decades of biomedical discoveries. It is also becoming increasingly important in industrial and medical applications ranging from biomanufacture to cell-based therapies. Here, we review techniques for membrane disruption-based intracellular delivery from 1911 until the present. These methods achieve rapid, direct, and universal delivery of almost any cargo molecule or material that can be dispersed in solution. We start by covering the motivations for intracellular delivery and the challenges associated with the different cargo types-small molecules, proteins/peptides, nucleic acids, synthetic nanomaterials, and large cargo. The review then presents a broad comparison of delivery strategies followed by an analysis of membrane disruption mechanisms and the biology of the cell response. We cover mechanical, electrical, thermal, optical, and chemical strategies of membrane disruption with a particular emphasis on their applications and challenges to implementation. Throughout, we highlight specific mechanisms of membrane disruption and suggest areas in need of further experimentation. We hope the concepts discussed in our review inspire scientists and engineers with further ideas to improve intracellular delivery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin P. Stewart
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute
of Technology, Cambridge, USA
- The Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research,
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, USA
| | - Robert Langer
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute
of Technology, Cambridge, USA
- The Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research,
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, USA
| | - Klavs F. Jensen
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute
of Technology, Cambridge, USA
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17
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Batista Napotnik T, Miklavčič D. In vitro electroporation detection methods – An overview. Bioelectrochemistry 2018; 120:166-182. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bioelechem.2017.12.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 109] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2017] [Revised: 12/11/2017] [Accepted: 12/11/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
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Son RS, Gowrishankar TR, Smith KC, Weaver JC. Modeling a Conventional Electroporation Pulse Train: Decreased Pore Number, Cumulative Calcium Transport and an Example of Electrosensitization. IEEE Trans Biomed Eng 2016; 63:571-80. [DOI: 10.1109/tbme.2015.2466234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
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Huang Y, Wilkie R, Wilson V. Methods for Precisely Localized Transfer of Cells or DNA into Early Postimplantation Mouse Embryos. J Vis Exp 2015:e53295. [PMID: 26780672 PMCID: PMC4780859 DOI: 10.3791/53295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Manipulation and culture of early mouse embryos is a powerful yet largely under-utilized technology enhancing the value of this model system. Conversely, cell culture has been widely used in developmental biology studies. However, it is important to determine whether in vitro cultured cells truly represent in vivo cell types. Grafting cells into embryos, followed by an assessment of their contribution during development is a useful method to determine the potential of in vitro cultured cells. In this study, we describe a method for grafting cells into a defined site of early postimplantation mouse embryos, followed by ex vivo culture. We also introduce an optimized electroporation method that uses glass capillaries of known diameter, allowing precise localization and adjustment of the number of cells receiving exogenous DNA with both high transfection efficiency and low cell death. These techniques, which do not require any specialized equipment, render experimental manipulations of the gastrulation and early organogenesis-stage mouse embryo possible, allowing analysis of commitment in cultured cell subpopulations and the effect of genetic manipulations in situ on cell differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yali Huang
- MRC Centre for Regenerative Medicine, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh;
| | - Ron Wilkie
- MRC Centre for Regenerative Medicine, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh
| | - Valerie Wilson
- MRC Centre for Regenerative Medicine, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh
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Demiryurek Y, Nickaeen M, Zheng M, Yu M, Zahn JD, Shreiber DI, Lin H, Shan JW. Transport, resealing, and re-poration dynamics of two-pulse electroporation-mediated molecular delivery. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOMEMBRANES 2015; 1848:1706-14. [PMID: 25911207 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2015.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2014] [Revised: 03/16/2015] [Accepted: 04/14/2015] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Electroporation is of interest for many drug-delivery and gene-therapy applications. Prior studies have shown that a two-pulse-electroporation protocol consisting of a short-duration, high-voltage first pulse followed by a longer, low-voltage second pulse can increase delivery efficiency and preserve viability. In this work the effects of the field strength of the first and second pulses and the inter-pulse delay time on the delivery of two different-sized Fluorescein-Dextran (FD) conjugates are investigated. A series of two-pulse-electroporation experiments were performed on 3T3-mouse fibroblast cells, with an alternating-current first pulse to permeabilize the cell, followed by a direct-current second pulse. The protocols were rationally designed to best separate the mechanisms of permeabilization and electrophoretic transport. The results showed that the delivery of FD varied strongly with the strength of the first pulse and the size of the target molecule. The delivered FD concentration also decreased linearly with the logarithm of the inter-pulse delay. The data indicate that membrane resealing after electropermeabilization occurs rapidly, but that a non-negligible fraction of the pores can be reopened by the second pulse for delay times on the order of hundreds of seconds. The role of the second pulse is hypothesized to be more than just electrophoresis, with a minimum threshold field strength required to reopen nano-sized pores or defects remaining from the first pulse. These results suggest that membrane electroporation, sealing, and re-poration is a complex process that has both short-term and long-term components, which may in part explain the wide variation in membrane-resealing times reported in the literature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasir Demiryurek
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, 98 Brett Road, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Masoud Nickaeen
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, 98 Brett Road, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Mingde Zheng
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, 599 Taylor Road, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Miao Yu
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, 98 Brett Road, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Jeffrey D Zahn
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, 599 Taylor Road, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - David I Shreiber
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, 599 Taylor Road, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Hao Lin
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, 98 Brett Road, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Jerry W Shan
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, 98 Brett Road, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA.
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