1
|
Eş I, Ionescu AMT, Görmüş BM, Inci F, Marques MPC, Szita N, de la Torre LG. Monte Carlo simulation-guided design for size-tuned tumor spheroid formation in 3D printed microwells. Biotechnol Prog 2024:e3470. [PMID: 38613384 DOI: 10.1002/btpr.3470] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2023] [Revised: 02/10/2024] [Accepted: 04/01/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024]
Abstract
Tumor spheroid models have garnered significant attention in recent years as they can efficiently mimic in vivo models, and in addition, they offer a more controlled and reproducible environment for evaluating the efficacy of cancer drugs. In this study, we present the design and fabrication of a micromold template to form multicellular spheroids in a high-throughput and controlled-sized fashion. Briefly, polydimethylsiloxane-based micromolds at varying sizes and geometry were fabricated via soft lithography using 3D-printed molds as negative templates. The efficiency of spheroid formation was assessed using GFP-expressing human embryonic kidney 293 cells (HEK-293). After 7 days of culturing, circularity and cell viability of spheroids were >0.8 and 90%, respectively. At 1500 cells/microwell of cell seeding concentration, the spheroids were 454 ± 15 μm, 459 ± 7 μm, and 451 ± 18 μm when cultured in microwells with the diameters of 0.4, 0.6, and 0.8 μm, respectively. Moreover, the distance between each microwell and surfactant treatment before cell seeding notably impacted the uniform spheroid formation. The centrifugation was the key step to collect cells on the bottom of the microwells. Our findings were further verified using a commercial microplate. Furthermore, Monte Carlo simulation confirmed the seeding conditions where the spheroids could be formed. This study showed prominent steps in investigating spheroid formation, thereby leveraging the current know-how on the mechanism of tumor growth.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ismail Eş
- Department of Biochemical Engineering, University College London, London, UK
- Department of Material and Bioprocess Engineering, School of Chemical Engineering, University of Campinas (UNICAMP), São Paulo, Brazil
- UNAM-National Nanotechnology Research Center, Bilkent University, Ankara, Turkey
| | | | - Burak M Görmüş
- UNAM-National Nanotechnology Research Center, Bilkent University, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Fatih Inci
- UNAM-National Nanotechnology Research Center, Bilkent University, Ankara, Turkey
- Institute of Materials Science and Nanotechnology, Bilkent University, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Marco P C Marques
- Department of Biochemical Engineering, University College London, London, UK
| | - Nicolas Szita
- Department of Biochemical Engineering, University College London, London, UK
| | - Lucimara Gaziola de la Torre
- Department of Material and Bioprocess Engineering, School of Chemical Engineering, University of Campinas (UNICAMP), São Paulo, Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Mustafayev F, Youn J, Hanif A, Kim DS. A Perforated Plate-Based Cell Showering Device for Uniform Cell Distribution over Various Culture Substrates. ACS Biomater Sci Eng 2024; 10:620-627. [PMID: 38048415 DOI: 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.3c01203] [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] [Indexed: 12/06/2023]
Abstract
Cell distribution is one of the primary factors that can affect cell morphology and behaviors, as it determines cell-cell interactions. Despite the importance of cell distribution, the seeding process of in vitro cell culture still highly relies on the traditional method using manual pipetting. Because manual pipetting cannot ensure a uniform cell distribution and has the possibility of compromising experimental reproducibility, an accurate and systemic seeding method that enables uniform cell seeding over versatile culture substrates is required. Here, we developed a perforated plate-based cell seeding device called the CellShower, which enabled uniform cell seeding over a large area of cell culture substrates. The working principles of the CellShower are based on the laminar filling flow and capillary force in microfluidics, and the design of the CellShower was optimized with numerical simulations. The versatility of the CellShower in view of uniform cell seeding was demonstrated by applying it to various types of culture substrates from a conventional culture dish to culture substrates having nanotopography, porous structures, and 3D concave structures. The CellShower and its operating principles are expected to contribute to enhancing the accuracy and reproducibility of biological experiments.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Farid Mustafayev
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Pohang 37763, Republic of Korea
| | - Jaeseung Youn
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Pohang 37763, Republic of Korea
| | - Adeela Hanif
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Pohang 37763, Republic of Korea
| | - Dong Sung Kim
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Pohang 37763, Republic of Korea
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), Pohang 37673, Republic of Korea
- School of Interdisciplinary Bioscience and Bioengineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH) Pohang, 37673, Republic of Korea
- Institute for Convergence Research and Education in Advanced Technology, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Republic of Korea
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Reynolds DE, Pan M, Yang J, Galanis G, Roh YH, Morales RT, Kumar SS, Heo S, Xu X, Guo W, Ko J. Double Digital Assay for Single Extracellular Vesicle and Single Molecule Detection. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2023; 10:e2303619. [PMID: 37802976 PMCID: PMC10667851 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202303619] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2023] [Revised: 09/13/2023] [Indexed: 10/08/2023]
Abstract
Extracellular vesicles (EVs) have emerged as a promising source of biomarkers for disease diagnosis. However, current diagnostic methods for EVs present formidable challenges, given the low expression levels of biomarkers carried by EV samples, as well as their complex physical and biological properties. Herein, a highly sensitive double digital assay is developed that allows for the absolute quantification of individual molecules from a single EV. Because the relative abundance of proteins is low for a single EV, tyramide signal amplification (TSA) is integrated to increase the fluorescent signal readout for evaluation. With the integrative microfluidic technology, the technology's ability to compartmentalize single EVs is successfully demonstrated, proving the technology's digital partitioning capacity. Then the device is applied to detect single PD-L1 proteins from single EVs derived from a melanoma cell line and it is discovered that there are ≈2.7 molecules expressed per EV, demonstrating the applicability of the system for profiling important prognostic and diagnostic cancer biomarkers for therapy response, metastatic status, and tumor progression. The ability to accurately quantify protein molecules of rare abundance from individual EVs will shed light on the understanding of EV heterogeneity and discovery of EV subtypes as new biomarkers.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- David E. Reynolds
- Department of BioengineeringUniversity of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaPA19104USA
| | - Menghan Pan
- Department of BioengineeringUniversity of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaPA19104USA
| | - Jingbo Yang
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory MedicineUniversity of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaPA19104USA
| | - George Galanis
- Department of BioengineeringUniversity of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaPA19104USA
| | - Yoon Ho Roh
- Department of BioengineeringUniversity of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaPA19104USA
| | | | | | - Su‐Jin Heo
- Department of BioengineeringUniversity of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaPA19104USA
- Department of Orthopaedic SurgeryPerelman School of MedicineUniversity of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaPA19104USA
| | - Xiaowei Xu
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory MedicineUniversity of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaPA19104USA
| | - Wei Guo
- Department of BiologySchool of Arts and SciencesUniversity of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaPA19104USA
| | - Jina Ko
- Department of BioengineeringUniversity of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaPA19104USA
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory MedicineUniversity of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaPA19104USA
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Guo W, Chen Z, Feng Z, Li H, Zhang M, Zhang H, Cui X. Fabrication of Concave Microwells and Their Applications in Micro-Tissue Engineering: A Review. MICROMACHINES 2022; 13:mi13091555. [PMID: 36144178 PMCID: PMC9505614 DOI: 10.3390/mi13091555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2022] [Revised: 09/12/2022] [Accepted: 09/15/2022] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
At present, there is an increasing need to mimic the in vivo micro-environment in the culture of cells and tissues in micro-tissue engineering. Concave microwells are becoming increasingly popular since they can provide a micro-environment that is closer to the in vivo environment compared to traditional microwells, which can facilitate the culture of cells and tissues. Here, we will summarize the fabrication methods of concave microwells, as well as their applications in micro-tissue engineering. The fabrication methods of concave microwells include traditional methods, such as lithography and etching, thermal reflow of photoresist, laser ablation, precision-computerized numerical control (CNC) milling, and emerging technologies, such as surface tension methods, the deformation of soft membranes, 3D printing, the molding of microbeads, air bubbles, and frozen droplets. The fabrication of concave microwells is transferring from professional microfabrication labs to common biochemical labs to facilitate their applications and provide convenience for users. Concave microwells have mostly been used in organ-on-a-chip models, including the formation and culture of 3D cell aggregates (spheroids, organoids, and embryoids). Researchers have also used microwells to study the influence of substrate topology on cellular behaviors. We will briefly review their applications in different aspects of micro-tissue engineering and discuss the further applications of concave microwells. We believe that building multiorgan-on-a-chip by 3D cell aggregates of different cell lines will be a popular application of concave microwells, while integrating physiologically relevant molecular analyses with the 3D culture platform will be another popular application in the near future. Furthermore, 3D cell aggregates from these biosystems will find more applications in drug screening and xenogeneic implantation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Weijin Guo
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Shantou University, Shantou 515063, China
| | - Zejingqiu Chen
- Department of Biology, Shantou University, Shantou 515063, China
| | - Zitao Feng
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Shantou University, Shantou 515063, China
| | - Haonan Li
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Shantou University, Shantou 515063, China
| | - Muyang Zhang
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Shantou University, Shantou 515063, China
| | - Huiru Zhang
- Guangdong Foshan Lianchuang Graduate School of Engineering, Foshan 528311, China
| | - Xin Cui
- Key Laboratory of Biomaterials of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Rapid Prototyping of Organ-on-a-Chip Devices Using Maskless Photolithography. MICROMACHINES 2021; 13:mi13010049. [PMID: 35056214 PMCID: PMC8778126 DOI: 10.3390/mi13010049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2021] [Revised: 12/22/2021] [Accepted: 12/27/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Organ-on-a-chip (OoC) and microfluidic devices are conventionally produced using microfabrication procedures that require cleanrooms, silicon wafers, and photomasks. The prototyping stage often requires multiple iterations of design steps. A simplified prototyping process could therefore offer major advantages. Here, we describe a rapid and cleanroom-free microfabrication method using maskless photolithography. The approach utilizes a commercial digital micromirror device (DMD)-based setup using 375 nm UV light for backside exposure of an epoxy-based negative photoresist (SU-8) on glass coverslips. We show that microstructures of various geometries and dimensions, microgrooves, and microchannels of different heights can be fabricated. New SU-8 molds and soft lithography-based polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) chips can thus be produced within hours. We further show that backside UV exposure and grayscale photolithography allow structures of different heights or structures with height gradients to be developed using a single-step fabrication process. Using this approach: (1) digital photomasks can be designed, projected, and quickly adjusted if needed; and (2) SU-8 molds can be fabricated without cleanroom availability, which in turn (3) reduces microfabrication time and costs and (4) expedites prototyping of new OoC devices.
Collapse
|
6
|
Logan Howard R, Wang Y, Allbritton NL. Use of liquid lithography to form in vitro intestinal crypts with varying microcurvature surrounding the stem cell niche. JOURNAL OF MICROMECHANICS AND MICROENGINEERING : STRUCTURES, DEVICES, AND SYSTEMS 2021; 31:125006. [PMID: 35241878 PMCID: PMC8887876 DOI: 10.1088/1361-6439/ac2d9c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS The role of the crypt microarchitecture and surrounding tissue curvature on intestinal stem/proliferative cell physiology is unknown. The utility of liquid lithography in creating polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) micropillar stamps with controlled tip curvature was assessed. Using these stamps, the impact of microcurvature at the crypt base on intestinal cell and cytoskeletal behavior was studied. METHODS An SU-8 master mold as a support, polyols of varying surface energies as sacrificial liquids, and liquid PDMS as the solidifiable material were combined using liquid lithography to form PDMS micropillar arrays. Vapor phase deposition of organosilane onto the master mold was used to modify the surface energy of the master mold to shape the micropillar tips. Collagen was molded using the micropillar arrays forming a scaffold for culture of human primary colonic epithelial cells. Cell proliferation and cytoskeletal properties were assessed using fluorescent stains. RESULTS Liquid lithography using low surface energy polyols (<55 dynes/cm) generated convex-tipped PDMS micropillars, while polyols with higher surface energies (>55 dynes/cm) yielded concave-tipped PDMS micropillars. Gradients of octyltrichlorosilane deposition across a master mold with an array of microwells yielded a PDMS micropillar array with a range of tip curvatures. Human primary colonic epithelial cells cultured on micropillar-molded collagen scaffolds demonstrated a stem/proliferative cell compartment at the crypt base. Crypts with a convex base demonstrated significantly lower cell proliferation at the crypt base than that of cells in crypts with either flat or concave bases. Crypts with a convex base also displayed higher levels of G-actin activity compared to that of crypts with flat or concave bases. CONCLUSIONS Liquid lithography enabled creation of arrays of in vitro colonic crypts with programmable curvature. Primary cells at the crypt base sensed and responded to surface curvature by altering their proliferation and cytoskeletal properties.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- R Logan Howard
- Marsico Lung Institute, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
- Cystic Fibrosis and Pulmonary Diseases Research and Treatment Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Yuli Wang
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
| | - Nancy L Allbritton
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Kim D, Lee SJ, Youn J, Hong H, Eom S, Kim DS. A deep and permeable nanofibrous oval-shaped microwell array for the stable formation of viable and functional spheroids. Biofabrication 2021; 13. [PMID: 34030141 DOI: 10.1088/1758-5090/ac044c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2021] [Accepted: 05/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Despite the potential of a nanofibrous (NF) microwell array as a permeable microwell array to improve the viability and functions of spheroids, thanks to the superior permeability to both gases and solutes, there have still been difficulties regarding the stable formation of spheroids in the NF microwell array due to the low aspect ratio (AR) and the large interspacing between microwells. This study proposes a nanofibrous oval-shaped microwell array, named the NOVA microwell array, with both a high AR and a high well density, enabling us to not only collect cells in the microwell with a high cell seeding efficiency, but also to generate multiple viable and functional spheroids in a uniform and stable manner. To realize a deep NOVA microwell array with a high aspect ratio (AR = 0.9) and a high well density (494 wells cm-2), we developed a matched-mold thermoforming process for the fabrication of both size- and AR-controllable NOVA microwell arrays with various interspacing between microwells while maintaining the porous nature of the NF membrane. The human hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG2) cell spheroids cultured on the deep NOVA microwell array not only had uniform size and shape, with a spheroid circularity of 0.80 ± 0.03 at a cell seeding efficiency of 94.29 ± 9.55%, but also exhibited enhanced viability with a small fraction of dead cells and promoted functionality with increased albumin secretion, compared with the conventional impermeable microwell array. The superior characteristics of the deep NOVA microwell array, i.e. a high AR, a high well density, and a high permeability, pave the way to the production of various viable and functional spheroids and even organoids in a scalable manner.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dohui Kim
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), 77, Cheongam-ro, Nam-gu, Pohang, Gyeongbuk 37673, Republic of Korea
| | - Seong Jin Lee
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), 77, Cheongam-ro, Nam-gu, Pohang, Gyeongbuk 37673, Republic of Korea
| | - Jaeseung Youn
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), 77, Cheongam-ro, Nam-gu, Pohang, Gyeongbuk 37673, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyeonjun Hong
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), 77, Cheongam-ro, Nam-gu, Pohang, Gyeongbuk 37673, Republic of Korea
| | - Seongsu Eom
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), 77, Cheongam-ro, Nam-gu, Pohang, Gyeongbuk 37673, Republic of Korea
| | - Dong Sung Kim
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), 77, Cheongam-ro, Nam-gu, Pohang, Gyeongbuk 37673, Republic of Korea.,Department of Chemical Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), 77, Cheongam-ro, Nam-gu, Pohang, Gyeongbuk 37673, Republic of Korea.,Institute for Convergence Research and Education in Advanced Technology, Yonsei University, 50, Yonsei-ro, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul 03722, Republic of Korea
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Han SJ, Kwon S, Kim KS. Challenges of applying multicellular tumor spheroids in preclinical phase. Cancer Cell Int 2021; 21:152. [PMID: 33663530 PMCID: PMC7934264 DOI: 10.1186/s12935-021-01853-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 143] [Impact Index Per Article: 47.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2020] [Accepted: 02/24/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The three-dimensional (3D) multicellular tumor spheroids (MCTs) model is becoming an essential tool in cancer research as it expresses an intermediate complexity between 2D monolayer models and in vivo solid tumors. MCTs closely resemble in vivo solid tumors in many aspects, such as the heterogeneous architecture, internal gradients of signaling factors, nutrients, and oxygenation. MCTs have growth kinetics similar to those of in vivo tumors, and the cells in spheroid mimic the physical interaction of the tumors, such as cell-to-cell and cell-to-extracellular matrix interactions. These similarities provide great potential for studying the biological properties of tumors and a promising platform for drug screening and therapeutic efficacy evaluation. However, MCTs are not well adopted as preclinical tools for studying tumor behavior and therapeutic efficacy up to now. In this review, we addressed the challenges with MCTs application and discussed various efforts to overcome the challenges.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Se Jik Han
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Graduate School, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, 02447, Korea
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, 02447, Korea
| | - Sangwoo Kwon
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, 02447, Korea
| | - Kyung Sook Kim
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, 02447, Korea.
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Wu K, Kuo C, Tu T. A Highly Reproducible Micro U-Well Array Plate Facilitating High-Throughput Tumor Spheroid Culture and Drug Assessment. GLOBAL CHALLENGES (HOBOKEN, NJ) 2021; 5:2000056. [PMID: 33552551 PMCID: PMC7857131 DOI: 10.1002/gch2.202000056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2020] [Revised: 09/30/2020] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
3D multicellular tumor spheroids (MCTSs) have recently emerged as a landmark for cancer research due to their inherent traits that are physiologically relevant to primary tumor microenvironments. A facile approach-laser-ablated micro U-wells-has been widely adopted in the past decade. However, the differentiation of microwell uniformities and the construction of arrays have all remained elusive. Herein, an improved laser-ablated microwell array technique is proposed that can not only achieve arrayed MCTSs with identical sizes but can also perform high-throughput drug assessments in situ. Three critical laser ablation parameters, including frequency, duty cycle, and pulse number, are investigated to generate microwells flexibly with a range from 170 to 400 μm. The choice of microwells is optimally arranged into an array via precise control of horizontal spacing (d x) and vertical spacing (d y) amenable of cell-loss-free culture during cell seeding. Harvested T24, A549 and Huh-7 MCTSs from the microwell array correspond to approximately 75 to 140 μm in diameter. Anticancer drug screening of cisplatin validated IC50 values in 2D and MCTS conditions are 3.5 versus 9.1 μM (T24), 11.8 versus 277.7 μM (A549) and 33.5 versus 52.8 μM (Huh-7), and the permeability is measured to range from 0.042 to 0.58 μm min-1.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kuang‐Wei Wu
- Department of Biomedical EngineeringNational Cheng Kung UniversityTainan70101Taiwan
| | - Ching‐Te Kuo
- Department of Mechanical and Electro‐Mechanical EngineeringNational Sun Yat‐sen UniversityKaohsiung80400Taiwan
| | - Ting‐Yuan Tu
- Department of Biomedical EngineeringNational Cheng Kung UniversityTainan70101Taiwan
- Medical Device Innovation CenterNational Cheng Kung UniversityTainan70101Taiwan
- International Center for Wound Repair and RegenerationNational Cheng Kung UniversityTainan70101Taiwan
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Behroodi E, Latifi H, Bagheri Z, Ermis E, Roshani S, Salehi Moghaddam M. A combined 3D printing/CNC micro-milling method to fabricate a large-scale microfluidic device with the small size 3D architectures: an application for tumor spheroid production. Sci Rep 2020; 10:22171. [PMID: 33335148 PMCID: PMC7747638 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-79015-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2020] [Accepted: 12/02/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The fabrication of a large-scale microfluidic mold with 3D microstructures for manufacturing of the conical microwell chip using a combined projection micro-stereolithography (PµSL) 3D printing/CNC micro-milling method for tumor spheroid formation is presented. The PµSL technique is known as the most promising method of manufacturing microfluidic chips due to the possibility of creating complex three-dimensional microstructures with high resolution in the range of several micrometers. The purpose of applying the proposed method is to investigate the influence of microwell depths on the formation of tumor spheroids. In the conventional methods, the construction of three-dimensional microstructures and multi-height chips is difficult, time-consuming, and is performed using a multi-step lithography process. Microwell depth is an essential parameter for microwell design since it directly affects the shear stress of the fluid flow and the diffusion of nutrients, respiratory gases, and growth factors. In this study, a chip was made with microwells of different depth varying from 100 to 500 µm. The mold of the microwell section is printed by the lab-made PµSL printer with 6 and 1 µm lateral and vertical resolutions. Other parts of the mold, such as the main chamber and micro-channels, were manufactured using the CNC micro-milling method. Finally, different parts of the master mold were assembled and used for PDMS casting. The proposed technique drastically simplifies the fabrication and rapid prototyping of large-scale microfluidic devices with high-resolution microstructures by combining 3D printing with the CNC micro-milling method.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ebrahim Behroodi
- Laser and Plasma Research Institute, Shahid Beheshti University, 1983963113, Tehran, Iran
| | - Hamid Latifi
- Laser and Plasma Research Institute, Shahid Beheshti University, 1983963113, Tehran, Iran. .,Department of Physics, Shahid Beheshti University, 1983963113, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Zeinab Bagheri
- Faculty of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shahid Beheshti University, 1983963113, Tehran, Iran
| | - Esra Ermis
- Faculty of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shahid Beheshti University, 1983963113, Tehran, Iran
| | - Shabnam Roshani
- Faculty of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shahid Beheshti University, 1983963113, Tehran, Iran
| | | |
Collapse
|
11
|
Manzoor AA, Romita L, Hwang DK. A review on microwell and microfluidic geometric array fabrication techniques and its potential applications in cellular studies. CAN J CHEM ENG 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/cjce.23875] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ahmad Ali Manzoor
- Department of Chemical Engineering Ryerson University Toronto Ontario Canada
- Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Science St. Michael's Hospital Toronto Ontario Canada
- Institute for Biomedical Engineering Science and Technology (iBEST) A partnership between Ryerson University and St. Michael's Hospital Toronto Ontario Canada
| | - Lauren Romita
- Department of Chemical Engineering Ryerson University Toronto Ontario Canada
- Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Science St. Michael's Hospital Toronto Ontario Canada
- Institute for Biomedical Engineering Science and Technology (iBEST) A partnership between Ryerson University and St. Michael's Hospital Toronto Ontario Canada
| | - Dae Kun Hwang
- Department of Chemical Engineering Ryerson University Toronto Ontario Canada
- Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Science St. Michael's Hospital Toronto Ontario Canada
- Institute for Biomedical Engineering Science and Technology (iBEST) A partnership between Ryerson University and St. Michael's Hospital Toronto Ontario Canada
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Lee S, Kim S, Ahn J, Park J, Ryu BY, Park JY. Membrane-bottomed microwell array added to Transwell insert to facilitate non-contact co-culture of spermatogonial stem cell and STO feeder cell. Biofabrication 2020; 12:045031. [DOI: 10.1088/1758-5090/abb529] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
|
13
|
Maher SP, Conway AJ, Roth A, Adapa SR, Cualing P, Andolina C, Hsiao J, Turgeon J, Chaumeau V, Johnson M, Palmiotti C, Singh N, Barnes SJ, Patel R, Van Grod V, Carter R, Sun HCS, Sattabongkot J, Campo B, Nosten F, Saadi WM, Adams JH, Jiang RHY, Kyle DE. An adaptable soft-mold embossing process for fabricating optically-accessible, microfeature-based culture systems and application toward liver stage antimalarial compound testing. LAB ON A CHIP 2020; 20:1124-1139. [PMID: 32055808 DOI: 10.1039/c9lc00921c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Advanced cell culture methods for modeling organ-level structure have been demonstrated to replicate in vivo conditions more accurately than traditional in vitro cell culture. Given that the liver is particularly important to human health, several advanced culture methods have been developed to experiment with liver disease states, including infection with Plasmodium parasites, the causative agent of malaria. These models have demonstrated that intrahepatic parasites require functionally stable hepatocytes to thrive and robust characterization of the parasite populations' response to investigational therapies is dependent on high-content and high-resolution imaging (HC/RI). We previously reported abiotic confinement extends the functional longevity of primary hepatocytes in a microfluidic platform and set out to instill confinement in a microtiter plate platform while maintaining optical accessibility for HC/RI; with an end-goal of producing an improved P. vivax liver stage culture model. We developed a novel fabrication process in which a PDMS soft mold embosses hepatocyte-confining microfeatures into polystyrene, resulting in microfeature-based hepatocyte confinement (μHEP) slides and plates. Our process was optimized to form both microfeatures and culture wells in a single embossing step, resulting in a 100 μm-thick bottom ideal for HC/RI, and was found inexpensively amendable to microfeature design changes. Microfeatures improved intrahepatic parasite infection rates and μHEP systems were used to reconfirm the activity of reference antimalarials in phenotypic dose-response assays. RNAseq of hepatocytes in μHEP systems demonstrated microfeatures sustain hepatic differentiation and function, suggesting broader utility for preclinical hepatic assays; while our tailorable embossing process could be repurposed for developing additional organ models.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Steven P Maher
- Center for Global Health and Infectious Diseases Research, Department of Global Health, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA. and Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Amy J Conway
- Center for Global Health and Infectious Diseases Research, Department of Global Health, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA.
| | - Alison Roth
- Center for Global Health and Infectious Diseases Research, Department of Global Health, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA.
| | - Swamy R Adapa
- Center for Global Health and Infectious Diseases Research, Department of Global Health, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA.
| | - Phillip Cualing
- Center for Global Health and Infectious Diseases Research, Department of Global Health, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA.
| | - Chiara Andolina
- Shoklo Malaria Research Unit, Mahidol Oxford Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Mae Sot, Thailand & Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - James Hsiao
- Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Jessica Turgeon
- Center for Global Health and Infectious Diseases Research, Department of Global Health, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA.
| | - Victor Chaumeau
- Shoklo Malaria Research Unit, Mahidol Oxford Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Mae Sot, Thailand & Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Myles Johnson
- Center for Global Health and Infectious Diseases Research, Department of Global Health, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA.
| | | | - Naresh Singh
- Center for Global Health and Infectious Diseases Research, Department of Global Health, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA.
| | - Samantha J Barnes
- Center for Global Health and Infectious Diseases Research, Department of Global Health, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA.
| | - Raahil Patel
- Center for Global Health and Infectious Diseases Research, Department of Global Health, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA.
| | | | - Robert Carter
- Center for Global Health and Infectious Diseases Research, Department of Global Health, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA.
| | | | - Jetsumon Sattabongkot
- Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Brice Campo
- Medicines for Malaria Venture, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - François Nosten
- Shoklo Malaria Research Unit, Mahidol Oxford Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Mae Sot, Thailand & Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | | | - John H Adams
- Center for Global Health and Infectious Diseases Research, Department of Global Health, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA.
| | - Rays H Y Jiang
- Center for Global Health and Infectious Diseases Research, Department of Global Health, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA.
| | - Dennis E Kyle
- Center for Global Health and Infectious Diseases Research, Department of Global Health, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA. and Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Chao C, Ngo Le P, Engelward BP. SpheroidChip: Patterned Agarose Microwell Compartments Harboring HepG2 Spheroids are Compatible with Genotoxicity Testing. ACS Biomater Sci Eng 2020; 6:2427-2439. [PMID: 33145399 DOI: 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.9b01951] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Three-dimensional tissue culture models are emerging as effective alternatives to animal testing. They are especially beneficial for liver toxicity studies, enabling hepatocytes to display improved levels of liver-specific functions. One common model is hepatocyte spheroids, which are spontaneously formed cell aggregates. Techniques for spheroid formation include the use of ultralow attachment plates and the hanging drop method, both of which are technically challenging and relatively low throughput. Here, we describe a simple-to-use platform that improves spheroid production and is compatible with genotoxicity testing by the comet assay. To achieve this, we created a chip containing a microwell array where dozens of spheroids are contained within a single well of a 96-well plate. The microwells are made from agarose, a nontoxic material suitable for cell growth and spheroid formation. HepG2 cells loaded into customizable microwells formed spheroids through agarose-assisted aggregation within one to two days. In addition, the agarose matrix allows the same platform to be used in DNA damage analysis. Specifically, the comet assay enables quantification of DNA breaks based on the increased migration of damaged DNA through agarose during electrophoresis. Here, we developed a modified comet assay and show that intact HepG2 spheroids cultured in microwells can be electrophoresed to reveal the extent of DNA damage following exposure to inflammatory chemicals (H2O2 and SIN-1). With this SpheroidChip analysis method, we detected a dose-dependent increase in DNA damage and observed rapid repair of H2O2-induced DNA damage. In summary, we utilized an agarose microarray to condense what had required an entire 96-well plate into a single well, enabling analysis techniques that were cumbersome or impossible under conditions of a single spheroid per well of a 96-well plate.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Christy Chao
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - P Ngo Le
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Bevin P Engelward
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Chiu CY, Chen YC, Wu KW, Hsu WC, Lin HP, Chang HC, Lee YC, Wang YK, Tu TY. Simple In-House Fabrication of Microwells for Generating Uniform Hepatic Multicellular Cancer Aggregates and Discovering Novel Therapeutics. MATERIALS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2019; 12:E3308. [PMID: 31614495 PMCID: PMC6829256 DOI: 10.3390/ma12203308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2019] [Revised: 09/30/2019] [Accepted: 10/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Three-dimensional (3D) cell culture models have become powerful tools because they better simulate the in vivo pathophysiological microenvironment than traditional two-dimensional (2D) monolayer cultures. Tumor cells cultured in a 3D system as multicellular cancer aggregates (MCAs) recapitulate several critical in vivo characteristics that enable the study of biological functions and drug discovery. The microwell, in particular, has emerged as a revolutionary technology in the generation of MCAs as it provides geometrically defined microstructures for culturing size-controlled MCAs amenable for various downstream functional assays. This paper presents a simple and economical microwell fabrication methodology that can be conveniently incorporated into a conventional laboratory setting and used for the discovery of therapeutic interventions for liver cancer. The microwells were 400-700 µm in diameter, and hepatic MCAs (Huh-7 cells) were cultured in them for up to 5 days, over which time they grew to 250-520 µm with good viability and shape. The integrability of the microwell fabrication with a high-throughput workflow was demonstrated using a standard 96-well plate for proof-of-concept drug screening. The IC50 of doxorubicin was determined to be 9.3 µM under 2D conditions and 42.8 µM under 3D conditions. The application of photothermal treatment was demonstrated by optimizing concanavalin A-FITC conjugated silica-carbon hollow spheres (SCHSs) at a concentration of 500:200 µg/mL after a 2 h incubation to best bind with MCAs. Based on this concentration, which was appropriate for further photothermal treatment, the relative cell viability was assessed through exposure to a 3 W/cm2 near-infrared laser for 20 min. The relative fluorescence intensity showed an eight-fold reduction in cell viability, confirming the feasibility of using photothermal treatment as a potential therapeutic intervention. The proposed microwell integration is envisioned to serve as a simple in-house technique for the generation of MCAs useful for discovering therapeutic modalities for liver cancer treatment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chiao-Yi Chiu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan (Y.-C.C.); (K.-W.W.); (W.-C.H.)
| | - Ying-Chi Chen
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan (Y.-C.C.); (K.-W.W.); (W.-C.H.)
| | - Kuang-Wei Wu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan (Y.-C.C.); (K.-W.W.); (W.-C.H.)
| | - Wen-Chien Hsu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan (Y.-C.C.); (K.-W.W.); (W.-C.H.)
| | - Hong-Ping Lin
- Department of Chemistry, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan;
| | - Hsien-Chang Chang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan (Y.-C.C.); (K.-W.W.); (W.-C.H.)
- Medical Device Innovation Center, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan
- Center for Micro/Nano Technology Research, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan
| | - Yung-Chun Lee
- Center for Micro/Nano Technology Research, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan;
| | - Yang-Kao Wang
- Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan;
| | - Ting-Yuan Tu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan (Y.-C.C.); (K.-W.W.); (W.-C.H.)
- Medical Device Innovation Center, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan
- Center for Micro/Nano Technology Research, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Lee SW, Jeong SY, Shin TH, Min J, Lee D, Jeong GS. A cell-loss-free concave microwell array based size-controlled multi-cellular tumoroid generation for anti-cancer drug screening. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0219834. [PMID: 31344058 PMCID: PMC6658056 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0219834] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2018] [Accepted: 07/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The 3D multi-cellular tumoroid (MCT) model is an in vivo-like, avascular tumor model that has received much attention as a refined screening platform for drug therapies. Several types of research have been efforted to improve the physiological characteristics of the tumor microenvironment (TME) of the in vivo-like MCTs. Size-controlled MCTs have received much attention for obtaining highly reproducible results in drug screening assays and achieving a homogeneous and meaningful level of biological activities. Here, we describe an effective method for fabricating the size-controlled in vivo-like MCTs using a cell-loss-free (CLF) microwell arrays. The CLF microwell arrays was fabricated by using the simple operation of laser carving of a poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) master mold. We also demonstrated the biophysicochemical effect of tumor microenvironment (TME) resident fibroblasts through the expression of TGFβ, αSMA, Type I-, IV collagen, angiogenesis related markers on tumorigenesis, and confirmed the drug response of MCTs with anti-cancer agents. This technology for the fabrication of CLF microwell arrays could be used as an effective method to produce an in vitro tumor model for cancer research and drug discovery.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sang Woo Lee
- Biomedical Engineering Research Center, Asan Institute for Life Sciences, Asan Medical Center, Seoul, Korea
| | - Soo Yeon Jeong
- Biomedical Engineering Research Center, Asan Institute for Life Sciences, Asan Medical Center, Seoul, Korea
| | - Tae Hoon Shin
- Biomedical Engineering Research Center, Asan Institute for Life Sciences, Asan Medical Center, Seoul, Korea
| | - Junhong Min
- School of Integrative Engineering, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Donghyun Lee
- School of Integrative Engineering, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Gi Seok Jeong
- Biomedical Engineering Research Center, Asan Institute for Life Sciences, Asan Medical Center, Seoul, Korea
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Park SM, Lee SJ, Lim J, Kim BC, Han SJ, Kim DS. Versatile Fabrication of Size- and Shape-Controllable Nanofibrous Concave Microwells for Cell Spheroid Formation. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2018; 10:37878-37885. [PMID: 30360112 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.8b15821] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Although the microfabrication techniques for microwells enabled to guide physiologically relevant three-dimensional cell spheroid formation, there have been substantial interests to more closely mimic nano/microtopographies of in vivo cellular microenvironment. Here, we developed a versatile fabrication process for nanofibrous concave microwells (NCMs) with a controllable size and shape. The key to the fabrication process was the use of an array of hemispherical convex electrolyte solution drops as the grounded collector for electrospinning, which greatly improved the degree of freedom of the size, shape, and curvature of an NCM. A polymer substrate with through-holes was prepared for the electrolyte solution to come out through the hole and to naturally form a convex shape because of surface tension. Subsequent electrolyte-assisted electrospinning process enabled to achieve various arrays of NCMs of triangular, rectangular, and circular shapes with sizes ranging from 1000 μm down to 250 μm. As one example of biomedical applications, the formation of human hepatoma cell line (HepG2) spheroids was demonstrated on the NCMs. The results indicated that the NCM enabled uniform, size-controllable spheroid formation of HepG2 cells, resulting in 1.5 times higher secretion of albumin from HepG2 cells on the NCM on day 14 compared with those on a nanofibrous flat microwell as a control.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sang Min Park
- Department of Mechanical Engineering , Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH) , 77 Cheongam-ro , Pohang , Gyeongbuk 37673 , South Korea
| | - Seong Jin Lee
- Department of Mechanical Engineering , Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH) , 77 Cheongam-ro , Pohang , Gyeongbuk 37673 , South Korea
| | - Jiwon Lim
- Department of Mechanical Engineering , Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH) , 77 Cheongam-ro , Pohang , Gyeongbuk 37673 , South Korea
| | - Bum Chang Kim
- Department of Mechanical Engineering , Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH) , 77 Cheongam-ro , Pohang , Gyeongbuk 37673 , South Korea
| | - Seon Jin Han
- Department of Mechanical Engineering , Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH) , 77 Cheongam-ro , Pohang , Gyeongbuk 37673 , South Korea
| | - Dong Sung Kim
- Department of Mechanical Engineering , Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH) , 77 Cheongam-ro , Pohang , Gyeongbuk 37673 , South Korea
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Underhill GH, Khetani SR. Advances in Engineered Human Liver Platforms for Drug Metabolism Studies. Drug Metab Dispos 2018; 46:1626-1637. [PMID: 30135245 DOI: 10.1124/dmd.118.083295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2018] [Accepted: 08/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Metabolism in the liver often determines the overall clearance rates of many pharmaceuticals. Furthermore, induction or inhibition of the liver drug metabolism enzymes by perpetrator drugs can influence the metabolism of victim drugs (drug-drug interactions). Therefore, determining liver-drug interactions is critical during preclinical drug development. Unfortunately, studies in animals are often of limited value because of significant differences in the metabolic pathways of the liver across different species. To mitigate such limitations, the pharmaceutical industry uses a continuum of human liver models, ranging from microsomes to transfected cell lines and cultures of primary human hepatocytes (PHHs). Of these models, PHHs provide a balance of high-throughput testing capabilities together with a physiologically relevant cell type that exhibits all the characteristic enzymes, cofactors, and transporters. However, PHH monocultures display a rapid decline in metabolic capacity. Consequently, bioengineers have developed several tools, such as cellular microarrays, micropatterned cocultures, self-assembled and bioprinted spheroids, and perfusion devices, to enhance and stabilize PHH functions for ≥2 weeks. Many of these platforms have been validated for drug studies, whereas some have been adapted to include liver nonparenchymal cells that can influence hepatic drug metabolism in health and disease. Here, we focus on the design features of such platforms and their representative drug metabolism validation datasets, while discussing emerging trends. Overall, the use of engineered human liver platforms in the pharmaceutical industry has been steadily rising over the last 10 years, and we anticipate that these platforms will become an integral part of drug development with continued commercialization and validation for routine screening use.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gregory H Underhill
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois; and Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Salman R Khetani
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois; and Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Ma LD, Wang YT, Wang JR, Wu JL, Meng XS, Hu P, Mu X, Liang QL, Luo GA. Design and fabrication of a liver-on-a-chip platform for convenient, highly efficient, and safe in situ perfusion culture of 3D hepatic spheroids. LAB ON A CHIP 2018; 18:2547-2562. [PMID: 30019731 DOI: 10.1039/c8lc00333e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 94] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Spheroid-based three-dimensional (3D) liver culture models, offering a desirable biomimetic microenvironment, are useful for recapitulating liver functions in vitro. However, a user-friendly, robust and specially optimized method has not been well developed for a convenient, highly efficient, and safe in situ perfusion culture of spheroid-based 3D liver models. Here, we have developed a biomimetic and reversibly assembled liver-on-a-chip (3D-LOC) platform and presented a proof of concept for long-term perfusion culture of 3D human HepG2/C3A spheroids for building a 3D liver spheroid model. On the basis of a fast and reversible seal of concave microwell-based PDMS-membrane-PDMS sandwich multilayer chips, it enables a high-throughput and parallel perfusion culture of 1080 cell spheroids in a high mass transfer and low fluid shear stress biomimetic microenvironment as well as allowing the convenient collection and analysis of the cell spheroids. In terms of reducing spheroid loss and maintaining cell morphology and viability in long-term perfusion culture, the cell spheroids in the 3D-LOC were more safe and efficient. Notably, the polarisation, liver-specific functions, and metabolic activity of the cell spheroids in 3D-LOC were also remarkably improved and exhibited better long-term maintenance over conventional perfusion methods. Additionally, a robust micromilling method that incorporates secondary PDMS coating techniques (SPCs) for fabricating V-shaped concave microwells was also developed. The V-shaped concave microwell arrays exhibited a higher distribution density and aperture ratio, making it easy to form large-scale and uniform-sized cell spheroids with minimum cell loss. In summary, the proposed 3D-LOC could provide a convenient and robust solution for the long-term safe perfusion culture of hepatic spheroids and be beneficial for a variety of potential applications including development of bio-artificial livers, disease modeling, and drug toxicity screening.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Li-Dong Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Macau Institute for Applied Research in Medicine and Health, Macau University of Science and Technology, Macau, China.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
20
|
Kim K, Kim SH, Lee GH, Park JY. Fabrication of omega-shaped microwell arrays for a spheroid culture platform using pins of a commercial CPU to minimize cell loss and crosstalk. Biofabrication 2018; 10:045003. [PMID: 30074487 DOI: 10.1088/1758-5090/aad7d3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
A cell spheroid culture has the benefit of simulating in vivo three-dimensional cell environments. Microwell systems have been developed to mass-produce large quantities of uniform spheroids, and are frequently used in research areas, such as cell biology, anticancer drug development, and regenerative therapy. Recently reported concave-bottomed microwell systems have delivered more benefits in producing spheroids of higher quality and facilitating more effective research. However, microwell fabrication methods are often complicated or expensive, and there are inherent limitations in the functions and characteristics of existing microwells. Therefore, further studies on concave microwell systems are required. In this study, we fabricate spherical microwells with funnel-shaped entrance structures for spheroid culture; the shape is an upside-down omega ([Formula: see text]), and is thus named 'Omega-well'. The Omega-well array is fabricated using the capillary action of liquid polymer on the pins of a computer central processing unit, which is accomplished without requiring expensive materials or difficult procedures. Various characteristic analyses are performed by experiments and computer simulation. It is demonstrated that cell loss is minimized during cell seeding, a produced spheroid does not easily escape, and that crosstalk between microwells is significantly reduced. The novel fabrication method and Omega-well platform proposed in this study are highly practical, and thus will be useful tools in biology and pharmaceutical labs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kideok Kim
- School of Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering, Chung-Ang University, 84 Heukseok-ro, Dongjak-gu, Seoul 06974, Republic of Korea
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
21
|
|
22
|
Kim Y, Baipaywad P, Jeong Y, Park H. Incorporation of gelatin microparticles on the formation of adipose-derived stem cell spheroids. Int J Biol Macromol 2018; 110:472-478. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2018.01.046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2017] [Revised: 12/22/2017] [Accepted: 01/08/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
|
23
|
Lee G, Jun Y, Jang H, Yoon J, Lee J, Hong M, Chung S, Kim DH, Lee S. Enhanced oxygen permeability in membrane-bottomed concave microwells for the formation of pancreatic islet spheroids. Acta Biomater 2018; 65:185-196. [PMID: 29101017 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2017.10.045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2017] [Revised: 10/22/2017] [Accepted: 10/30/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Oxygen availability is a critical factor in regulating cell viability that ultimately contributes to the normal morphogenesis and functionality of human tissues. Among various cell culture platforms, construction of 3D multicellular spheroids based on microwell arrays has been extensively applied to reconstitute in vitro human tissue models due to its precise control of tissue culture conditions as well as simple fabrication processes. However, an adequate supply of oxygen into the spheroidal cellular aggregation still remains one of the main challenges to producing healthy in vitro spheroidal tissue models. Here, we present a novel design for controlling the oxygen distribution in concave microwell arrays. We show that oxygen permeability into the microwell is tightly regulated by varying the poly-dimethylsiloxane (PDMS) bottom thickness of the concave microwells. Moreover, we validate the enhanced performance of the engineered microwell arrays by culturing non-proliferated primary rat pancreatic islet spheroids on varying bottom thickness from 10 μm to 1050 μm. Morphological and functional analyses performed on the pancreatic islet spheroids grown for 14 days prove the long-term stability, enhanced viability, and increased hormone secretion under the sufficient oxygen delivery conditions. We expect our results could provide knowledge on oxygen distribution in 3-dimensional spheroidal cell structures and critical design concept for tissue engineering applications. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE In this study, we present a noble design to control the oxygen distribution in concave microwell arrays for the formation of highly functional pancreatic islet spheroids by engineering the bottom of the microwells. Our new platform significantly enhanced oxygen permeability that turned out to improve cell viability and spheroidal functionality compared to the conventional thick-bottomed 3-D culture system. Therefore, we believe that this could be a promising medical biotechnology platform to further develop high-throughput tissue screening system as well as in vivo-mimicking customised 3-D tissue culture systems.
Collapse
|
24
|
Lee GH, Lee JS, Lee GH, Joung WY, Kim SH, Lee SH, Park JY, Kim DH. Networked concave microwell arrays for constructing 3D cell spheroids. Biofabrication 2017; 10:015001. [DOI: 10.1088/1758-5090/aa9876] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
|
25
|
Lesher-Pérez SC, Kim GA, Kuo CH, Leung BM, Mong S, Kojima T, Moraes C, Thouless MD, Luker GD, Takayama S. Dispersible oxygen microsensors map oxygen gradients in three-dimensional cell cultures. Biomater Sci 2017; 5:2106-2113. [PMID: 28805850 PMCID: PMC5678941 DOI: 10.1039/c7bm00119c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Phase fluorimetry, unlike the more commonly used intensity-based measurement, is not affected by differences in light paths from culture vessels or by optical attenuation through dense 3D cell cultures and hydrogels thereby minimizing dependence on signal intensity for accurate measurements. This work describes the use of phase fluorimetry on oxygen-sensor microbeads to perform oxygen measurements in different microtissue culture environments. In one example, cell spheroids were observed to deplete oxygen from the cell-culture medium filling the bottom of conventional microwells within minutes, whereas oxygen concentrations remained close to ambient levels for several days in hanging-drop cultures. By dispersing multiple oxygen microsensors in cell-laden hydrogels, we also mapped cell-generated oxygen gradients. The spatial oxygen mapping was sufficiently precise to enable the use of computational models of oxygen diffusion and uptake to give estimates of the cellular oxygen uptake rate and the half-saturation constant. The results show the importance of integrated design and analysis of 3D cell cultures from both biomaterial and oxygen supply aspects. While this paper specifically tests spheroids and cell-laden gel cultures, the described methods should be useful for measuring pericellular oxygen concentrations in a variety of biomaterials and culture formats.
Collapse
|
26
|
Cha JM, Park H, Shin EK, Sung JH, Kim O, Jung W, Bang OY, Kim J. A novel cylindrical microwell featuring inverted-pyramidal opening for efficient cell spheroid formation without cell loss. Biofabrication 2017; 9:035006. [DOI: 10.1088/1758-5090/aa8111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
|