Characterising a PDMS based 3D cell culturing microfluidic platform for screening chemotherapeutic drug cytotoxic activity

Sci Rep. 2020 Sep 28;10(1):15915. doi: 10.1038/s41598-020-72952-1.

Abstract

Three-dimensional (3D) spheroidal cell cultures are now recognised as better models of cancers as compared to traditional cell cultures. However, established 3D cell culturing protocols and techniques are time-consuming, manually laborious and often expensive due to the excessive consumption of reagents. Microfluidics allows for traditional laboratory-based biological experiments to be scaled down into miniature custom fabricated devices, where cost-effective experiments can be performed through the manipulation and flow of small volumes of fluid. In this study, we characterise a 3D cell culturing microfluidic device fabricated from a 3D printed master. HT29 cells were seeded into the device and 3D spheroids were generated and cultured through the perfusion of cell media. Spheroids were treated with 5-Fluorouracil for five days through continuous perfusion and cell viability was analysed on-chip at different time points using fluorescence microscopy and Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) assay on the supernatant. Increasing cell death was observed in the HT29 spheroids over the five-day period. The 3D cell culturing microfluidic device described in this study, permits on-chip anti-cancer treatment and viability analysis, and forms the basis of an effective platform for the high-throughput screening of anti-cancer drugs in 3D tumour spheroids.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic / pharmacology*
  • Cell Culture Techniques / methods*
  • Cell Survival / drug effects*
  • Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor
  • Fluorouracil / pharmacology*
  • HT29 Cells
  • Hepatocytes / cytology
  • Hepatocytes / drug effects*
  • Humans
  • Microfluidic Analytical Techniques / instrumentation*
  • Microfluidics / instrumentation

Substances

  • Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic
  • Fluorouracil