| AVS 59th Annual International Symposium and Exhibition | |
| Biomaterial Interfaces | Monday Sessions |
| Session BI-MoA |
| Session: | Cell-Surface Interactions: High Throughput Methodologies |
| Presenter: | J. Gold, Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden |
| Authors: | P. Wallin, Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden E. Bernson, Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden J. Gold, Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden |
| Correspondent: | Click to Email |
Cell microenvironments are the main driving force in cellular fateprocesses and phenotype expression in vivo. In order to mimic specific stem cell niches, and study cellular responses under those conditions in detail, we need the ability to create and control cell micro environments in vitro. This includes the capability to modify growth substrate surface properties, liquid composition as well as cell-cell interactions in cell culture systems. Microfluidic systems offer the possibility to modify liquid mixtures on the cellular length scale in a highly defined manner. In particular, the ability to generate spatially- and temporally- controlled liquid gradients is of high relevance to study concentration dependent cell responses.
We are using a diffusion-based gradient generator that has been characterized both by computational fluid dynamic simulations, as well as experimentally. Themicro fluidic network was used to investigate HUVEC endothelial cell migration along chemotractant VEGF gradients when simultaneously grown on a continuous gradient in spacing of cell attachment peptide (cRGD) via functionalized Aunanoparticles (65-85nm spacing over 6 mm). The aim of this study is to ascertain how cell migration is affected by the spacing of attachment peptides. This has been achieved by forcing cells to migrate in a chemotrative gradient on a gradient substrate which will have portions that do not support mature focal adhesion formation or cell spreading. The same microfluidic network was also used in combination with a micro grooved growth substrate to study myoblast differentiation and alignment in response to simultaneous chemical (specifically, gradients in media composition) and topographical stimulation. This was performed in order to define the growth media and to optimize its composition.
The developed platform allows monitoring phenotype expression of cells in situ in highly controlled gradient environments of soluble factors in combination with different cell culture substrate properties. The detailed investigation of specific cellular responses to those stimuli is very difficult and timeconsuming with standard cell culture techniques.
The research leading to these results has received funding from the EU 7th Framework Programme (FP7/2007--‐2013) under grant agreement NMP3--‐SL--‐2009--‐229294 NanoCARD, and from Vinnova under contract no: 2009--‐00227.