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Elsemary MT, Maritz MF, Smith LE, Warkiani ME, Thierry B. Enrichment of T-lymphocytes from leukemic blood using inertial microfluidics toward improved chimeric antigen receptor-T cell manufacturing. Cytotherapy 2024:S1465-3249(24)00714-X. [PMID: 38819362 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcyt.2024.05.005] [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: 02/29/2024] [Revised: 04/30/2024] [Accepted: 05/05/2024] [Indexed: 06/01/2024]
Abstract
Chimeric antigen receptor cell therapy is a successful immunotherapy for the treatment of blood cancers. However, hurdles in their manufacturing remain including efficient isolation and purification of the T-cell starting material. Herein, we describe a one-step separation based on inertial spiral microfluidics for efficient enrichment of T-cells in B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia patient's samples. In healthy donors used to optimize the process, the lymphocyte purity was enriched from 65% (SD ± 0.2) to 91% (SD ± 0.06) and T-cell purity was enriched from 45% (SD ± 0.1) to 73% (SD ± 0.02). Leukemic samples had higher starting B-cells compared to the healthy donor samples. Efficient enrichment and recovery of lymphocytes and T-cells were achieved in ALL samples with B-cells, monocytes and leukemic blasts depleted by 80% (SD ± 0.09), 89% (SD ± 0.1) and 74% (SD ± 0.09), respectively, and a 70% (SD ± 0.1) T-cell recovery. Chronic lymphocytic leukemia samples had lower T-cell numbers, and the separation process was less efficient compared to the ALL. This study demonstrates the use of inertial microfluidics for T-cell enrichment and depletion of B-cell blasts in ALL, suggesting its potential to address a key bottleneck of the chimeric antigen receptor-T manufacturing workflow.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mona T Elsemary
- Future Industries Institute, University of South Australia Mawson Lakes Campus, Mawson Lakes, SA, Australia
| | - Michelle F Maritz
- Future Industries Institute, University of South Australia Mawson Lakes Campus, Mawson Lakes, SA, Australia
| | - Louise E Smith
- Future Industries Institute, University of South Australia Mawson Lakes Campus, Mawson Lakes, SA, Australia
| | | | - Benjamin Thierry
- Future Industries Institute, University of South Australia Mawson Lakes Campus, Mawson Lakes, SA, Australia.
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Zhang T, Di Carlo D, Lim CT, Zhou T, Tian G, Tang T, Shen AQ, Li W, Li M, Yang Y, Goda K, Yan R, Lei C, Hosokawa Y, Yalikun Y. Passive microfluidic devices for cell separation. Biotechnol Adv 2024; 71:108317. [PMID: 38220118 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2024.108317] [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: 11/01/2023] [Revised: 12/27/2023] [Accepted: 01/06/2024] [Indexed: 01/16/2024]
Abstract
The separation of specific cell populations is instrumental in gaining insights into cellular processes, elucidating disease mechanisms, and advancing applications in tissue engineering, regenerative medicine, diagnostics, and cell therapies. Microfluidic methods for cell separation have propelled the field forward, benefitting from miniaturization, advanced fabrication technologies, a profound understanding of fluid dynamics governing particle separation mechanisms, and a surge in interdisciplinary investigations focused on diverse applications. Cell separation methodologies can be categorized according to their underlying separation mechanisms. Passive microfluidic separation systems rely on channel structures and fluidic rheology, obviating the necessity for external force fields to facilitate label-free cell separation. These passive approaches offer a compelling combination of cost-effectiveness and scalability when compared to active methods that depend on external fields to manipulate cells. This review delves into the extensive utilization of passive microfluidic techniques for cell separation, encompassing various strategies such as filtration, sedimentation, adhesion-based techniques, pinched flow fractionation (PFF), deterministic lateral displacement (DLD), inertial microfluidics, hydrophoresis, viscoelastic microfluidics, and hybrid microfluidics. Besides, the review provides an in-depth discussion concerning cell types, separation markers, and the commercialization of these technologies. Subsequently, it outlines the current challenges faced in the field and presents a forward-looking perspective on potential future developments. This work hopes to aid in facilitating the dissemination of knowledge in cell separation, guiding future research, and informing practical applications across diverse scientific disciplines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianlong Zhang
- College of Mechanical Engineering, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang 212100, China
| | - Dino Di Carlo
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Chwee Teck Lim
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117583, Singapore
| | - Tianyuan Zhou
- College of Mechanical Engineering, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang 212100, China
| | - Guizhong Tian
- College of Mechanical Engineering, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang 212100, China.
| | - Tao Tang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117583, Singapore
| | - Amy Q Shen
- Micro/Bio/Nanofluidics Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Onna-son, Okinawa 904-0495, Japan
| | - Weihua Li
- School of Mechanical, Materials, Mechatronic and Biomedical Engineering, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia
| | - Ming Li
- School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Yang Yang
- Institute of Deep-Sea Science and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Sanya, Hainan 572000, China
| | - Keisuke Goda
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Department of Chemistry, University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan; The Institute of Technological Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Ruopeng Yan
- The Institute of Technological Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Cheng Lei
- The Institute of Technological Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Yoichiroh Hosokawa
- Division of Materials Science, Nara Institute of Science and Technology, Nara 630-0192, Japan
| | - Yaxiaer Yalikun
- Division of Materials Science, Nara Institute of Science and Technology, Nara 630-0192, Japan.
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Dinh MTP, Mukhamedshin A, Abhishek K, Lam FW, Gifford SC, Shevkoplyas SS. Separation of platelets by size in a microfluidic device based on controlled incremental filtration. LAB ON A CHIP 2024; 24:913-923. [PMID: 38263850 DOI: 10.1039/d3lc00842h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2024]
Abstract
The significant biological and functional differences between small and large platelets suggested by recent studies could have profound implications for transfusion medicine. However, investigating the relationship between platelet size and function is challenging because separating platelets by size without affecting their properties is difficult. A standard approach is centrifugation, but it inevitably leads to premature activation and aggregation of separated platelets. This paper describes the development and validation of a microfluidic device based on controlled incremental filtration (CIF) for separating platelets by size without the cell damage and usability limitations associated with centrifugation. Platelet samples derived from whole blood were used to evaluate the dependence of the CIF device separation performance on design parameters and flow rate, and to compare the properties of PLT fractions generated by the CIF device with those produced using a centrifugation protocol in a split-sample study. This was accomplished by quantifying the platelet size distribution, mean platelet volume (MPV), platelet-large cell ratio (P-LCR) and platelet activation before and after processing for all input and output samples. The 'large platelet' fractions produced by the CIF device and the centrifugation protocol were essentially equivalent (no significant difference in MPV and P-LCR). Platelets in the 'small platelet' fraction produced by the CIF device were significantly smaller than those produced by centrifugation (lower MPV and P-LCR). This was because the CIF 'small platelet' fraction was contaminated by much fewer large platelets (∼2-times lower recovery of >12 fL platelets) and retained the smallest platelets that were discarded by the centrifugation protocol. There was no significant difference in platelet activation between the two methods. However, centrifugation required a substantial amount of additional anticoagulant to prevent platelet aggregation during pelleting. Unlike centrifugation, the CIF device offered continuous, flow-through, single-step processing that did not cause platelet aggregation. Such a capability has the potential to accelerate the basic studies of the relationship between platelet size and function, and ultimately improve transfusion practice, particularly in the pediatric setting, where the need for low-volume, high-quality platelet transfusions is most urgent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mai T P Dinh
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Houston, 3605 Cullen Blvd, Houston, TX 77204-5060, USA.
| | - Anton Mukhamedshin
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Houston, 3605 Cullen Blvd, Houston, TX 77204-5060, USA.
| | - Kumar Abhishek
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Houston, 3605 Cullen Blvd, Houston, TX 77204-5060, USA.
| | - Fong W Lam
- Division of Pediatric Critical Care Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Sean C Gifford
- Halcyon Biomedical Incorporated, Friendswood, TX 77546, USA
| | - Sergey S Shevkoplyas
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Houston, 3605 Cullen Blvd, Houston, TX 77204-5060, USA.
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Iqbal M, Mukhamedshin A, Lezzar DL, Abhishek K, McLennan AL, Lam FW, Shevkoplyas SS. Recent advances in microfluidic cell separation to enable centrifugation-free, low extracorporeal volume leukapheresis in pediatric patients. BLOOD TRANSFUSION = TRASFUSIONE DEL SANGUE 2023; 21:494-513. [PMID: 37146298 PMCID: PMC10645346 DOI: 10.2450/bloodtransfus.506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2022] [Accepted: 03/02/2023] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
Leukapheresis is a common extracorporeal procedure for leukodepletion and cellular collection. During the procedure, a patient's blood is passed through an apheresis machine to separate white blood cells (WBCs) from red blood cells (RBCs) and platelets (PLTs), which are then returned to the patient. Although it is well-tolerated by adults and older children, leukapheresis poses a significant risk to neonates and low-weight infants because the extracorporeal volume (ECV) of a typical leukapheresis circuit represents a particularly large fraction of their total blood volume. The reliance of existing apheresis technology on centrifugation for separating blood cells limits the degree to which the circuit ECV could be miniaturized. The rapidly advancing field of microfluidic cell separation holds excellent promise for devices with competitive separation performance and void volumes that are orders of magnitude smaller than their centrifugation-based counterparts. This review discusses recent advancements in the field, focusing on passive separation methods that could potentially be adapted to perform leukapheresis. We first outline the performance requirements that any separation method must meet to replace centrifugation-based methods successfully. We then provide an overview of the passive separation methods that can remove WBCs from whole blood, focusing on the technological advancements made in the last decade. We describe and compare standard performance metrics, including blood dilution requirements, WBC separation efficiency, RBC and PLT loss, and processing throughput, and discuss the potential of each separation method for future use as a high-throughput microfluidic leukapheresis platform. Finally, we outline the primary common challenges that must still be overcome for these novel microfluidic technologies to enable centrifugation-free, low-ECV leukapheresis in the pediatric setting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mubasher Iqbal
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX, United States of America
| | - Anton Mukhamedshin
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX, United States of America
| | - Dalia L. Lezzar
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX, United States of America
| | - Kumar Abhishek
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX, United States of America
| | - Alexandra L. McLennan
- Division of Pediatric Critical Care Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States of America
| | - Fong W. Lam
- Division of Pediatric Critical Care Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States of America
| | - Sergey S. Shevkoplyas
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX, United States of America
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Lee LM, Bhatt KH, Haithcock DW, Prabhakarpandian B. Blood component separation in straight microfluidic channels. BIOMICROFLUIDICS 2023; 17:054106. [PMID: 37854890 PMCID: PMC10581738 DOI: 10.1063/5.0176457] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2023] [Accepted: 10/03/2023] [Indexed: 10/20/2023]
Abstract
Separation of blood components is required in many diagnostic applications and blood processes. In laboratories, blood is usually fractionated by manual operation involving a bulk centrifugation equipment, which significantly increases logistic burden. Blood sample processing in the field and resource-limited settings cannot be readily implemented without the use of microfluidic technology. In this study, we developed a small footprint, rapid, and passive microfluidic channel device that relied on margination and inertial focusing effects for blood component separation. No blood dilution, lysis, or labeling step was needed as to preserve sample integrity. One main innovation of this work was the insertion of fluidic restrictors at outlet ports to divert the separation interface into designated outlet channels. Thus, separation efficiency was significantly improved in comparison to previous works. We demonstrated different operation modes ranging from platelet or plasma extraction from human whole blood to platelet concentration from platelet-rich plasma through the manipulation of outlet port fluidic resistance. Using straight microfluidic channels with a high aspect ratio rectangular cross section, we demonstrated 95.4% platelet purity extracted from human whole blood. In plasma extraction, 99.9% RBC removal rate was achieved. We also demonstrated 2.6× concentration of platelet-rich plasma solution to produce platelet concentrate. The extraction efficiency and throughput rate are scalable with continuous and clog-free recirculation operation, in contrast to other blood fractionation approaches using filtration membranes or affinity-based purification methods. Our microfluidic blood separation method is highly tunable and versatile, and easy to be integrated into multi-step blood processing and advanced sample preparation workflows.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lap Man Lee
- CFD Research Corporation, Huntsville, Alabama 35806, USA
| | - Ketan H. Bhatt
- CFD Research Corporation, Huntsville, Alabama 35806, USA
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Abhishek K, Louis Sam Titus ASC, Dinh MTP, Mukhamedshin A, Mohan C, Gifford SC, Shevkoplyas SS. Red blood cell rosetting enables size-based separation of specific lymphocyte subsets from blood in a microfluidic device. LAB ON A CHIP 2023; 23:1804-1815. [PMID: 36723024 PMCID: PMC10050098 DOI: 10.1039/d2lc00817c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
The isolation of a specific lymphocyte subset from blood is the required first step in the manufacturing of many novel cellular immunotherapies. Microfluidic size-based separation methods are poised to significantly simplify this process because they require neither centrifugation nor magnetic or fluorescent labeling to operate. Lymphocytes can be separated from red blood cells (RBCs) and platelets as well as monocytes and granulocytes because their size differs from each of these cell types. However, further separation of a specific lymphocyte subset from other unwanted lymphocytes using size-based methods is impossible because all lymphocytes have approximately the same size and can only be distinguished by surface markers. This paper describes a new approach that made it possible for a size-based separation method to isolate a desired subset of lymphocytes by making unwanted lymphocytes as well as other blood cells artificially larger. The separation was enabled by selectively binding multiple RBCs to each unwanted cell to create 'rosettes' with an effective size significantly larger than the diameter of a typical lymphocyte. The desired lymphocytes remained unaffected by rosetting and were separated from the rosettes by passing the mixture through a microfluidic size-based separation device based on controlled incremental filtration (CIF). This new rosette-enabled size-based (RESIZE) separation approach demonstrated recovery of 80-90% for all lymphocyte subsets tested (CD3+, CD4+, CD56+) which was ∼2.5-fold higher than that for the standard immunodensity method (RBC rosetting followed by density gradient centrifugation). The purity of separation was >90% for CD3+ cells but declined with increasing cell rarity. Unlike the immunodensity approach, RESIZE required neither centrifugation nor cell washing after the separation and was ∼2.5-fold faster when processing the same sample volume. The results of this study suggest that integration of the RESIZE approach for high-yield isolation of lymphocyte subsets from blood could significantly streamline the manufacturing workflow and thus have a potentially transformative impact on the cost and availability of novel cellular immunotherapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kumar Abhishek
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Houston, 3605 Cullen Blvd, Houston, TX 77204-5060, USA.
| | | | - Mai T P Dinh
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Houston, 3605 Cullen Blvd, Houston, TX 77204-5060, USA.
| | - Anton Mukhamedshin
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Houston, 3605 Cullen Blvd, Houston, TX 77204-5060, USA.
| | - Chandra Mohan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Houston, 3605 Cullen Blvd, Houston, TX 77204-5060, USA.
| | - Sean C Gifford
- Halcyon Biomedical Incorporated, Friendswood, TX 77546, USA
| | - Sergey S Shevkoplyas
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Houston, 3605 Cullen Blvd, Houston, TX 77204-5060, USA.
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