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Lab on a Chip Sep 2022Neovascularization, the formation of new blood vessels, has received much research attention due to its implications for physiological processes and diseases. Most... (Review)
Review
Neovascularization, the formation of new blood vessels, has received much research attention due to its implications for physiological processes and diseases. Most studies using traditional and platforms find challenges in recapitulating key cellular and mechanical cues of the neovascularization processes. Microfluidic models have been presented as an alternative to these limitations due to their capacity to leverage microscale physics to control cell organization and integrate biochemical and mechanical cues, such as shear stress, cell-cell interactions, or nutrient gradients, making them an ideal option for recapitulating organ physiology. Much has been written about the use of microfluidics in vascular biology models from an engineering perspective. However, a review introducing the different models, components and progress for new potential adopters of these technologies was absent in the literature. Therefore, this paper aims to approach the use of microfluidic technologies in vascular biology from a perspective of biological hallmarks to be studied and written for a wide audience ranging from clinicians to engineers. Here we review applications of microfluidics in vascular biology research, starting with design considerations and fabrication techniques. After that, we review the state of the art in recapitulating angiogenesis and vasculogenesis, according to the hallmarks recapitulated and complexity of the models. Finally, we discuss emerging research areas in neovascularization, such as drug discovery, and potential future directions.
Topics: Biology; Cell Communication; Drug Discovery; Humans; Microfluidics; Neovascularization, Pathologic
PubMed: 36047330
DOI: 10.1039/d2lc00352j -
Cytometry. Part a : the Journal of the... Jul 2010Microfabricated flow cytometers can detect, count, and analyze cells or particles using microfluidics and electronics to give impedance-based characterization. Such... (Review)
Review
Microfabricated flow cytometers can detect, count, and analyze cells or particles using microfluidics and electronics to give impedance-based characterization. Such systems are being developed to provide simple, low-cost, label-free, and portable solutions for cell analysis. Recent work using microfabricated systems has demonstrated the capability to analyze micro-organisms, erythrocytes, leukocytes, and animal and human cell lines. Multifrequency impedance measurements can give multiparametric, high-content data that can be used to distinguish cell types. New combinations of microfluidic sample handling design and microscale flow phenomena have been used to focus and position cells within the channel for improved sensitivity. Robust designs will enable focusing at high flowrates while reducing requirements for control over multiple sample and sheath flows. Although microfluidic impedance-based flow cytometers have not yet or may never reach the extremely high throughput of conventional flow cytometers, the advantages of portability, simplicity, and ability to analyze single cells in small populations are, nevertheless, where chip-based cytometry can make a large impact.
Topics: Animals; Cell Death; Cell Differentiation; Cell Physiological Phenomena; Cell Survival; Electric Impedance; Equipment Design; Flow Cytometry; Humans; Microfluidics; Sensitivity and Specificity
PubMed: 20583276
DOI: 10.1002/cyto.a.20910 -
Theranostics 2023There has been a long-standing interest in point-of-care (POC) diagnostics as a tool to improve patient care because it can provide rapid, actionable results near the... (Review)
Review
There has been a long-standing interest in point-of-care (POC) diagnostics as a tool to improve patient care because it can provide rapid, actionable results near the patient. Some of the successful examples of POC testing include lateral flow assays, urine dipsticks, and glucometers. Unfortunately, POC analysis is somewhat limited by the ability to manufacture simple devices to selectively measure disease specific biomarkers and the need for invasive biological sampling. Next generation POCs are being developed that make use of microfluidic devices to detect biomarkers in biological fluids in a non-invasive manner, addressing the above-mentioned limitations. Microfluidic devices are desirable because they can provide the ability to perform additional sample processing steps not available in existing commercial diagnostics. As a result, they can provide more sensitive and selective analysis. While most POC methods make use of blood or urine as a sample matrix, there has been a growing push to use saliva as a diagnostic medium. Saliva represents an ideal non-invasive biofluid for detecting biomarkers because it is readily available in large quantities and analyte levels reflect those in blood. However, using saliva in microfluidic devices for POC diagnostics is a relatively new and an emerging field. The overarching aim of this review is to provide an update on recent literature focused on the use of saliva as a biological sample matrix in microfluidic devices. We will first cover the characteristics of saliva as a sample medium and then review microfluidic devices that are developed for the analysis of salivary biomarkers.
Topics: Humans; Microfluidics; Point-of-Care Systems; Saliva; Point-of-Care Testing; Lab-On-A-Chip Devices; Biomarkers
PubMed: 36793864
DOI: 10.7150/thno.78872 -
Nature Reviews. Molecular Cell Biology Sep 2015The underlying physical properties of microfluidic tools have led to new biological insights through the development of microsystems that can manipulate, mimic and... (Review)
Review
The underlying physical properties of microfluidic tools have led to new biological insights through the development of microsystems that can manipulate, mimic and measure biology at a resolution that has not been possible with macroscale tools. Microsystems readily handle sub-microlitre volumes, precisely route predictable laminar fluid flows and match both perturbations and measurements to the length scales and timescales of biological systems. The advent of fabrication techniques that do not require highly specialized engineering facilities is fuelling the broad dissemination of microfluidic systems and their adaptation to specific biological questions. We describe how our understanding of molecular and cell biology is being and will continue to be advanced by precision microfluidic approaches and posit that microfluidic tools - in conjunction with advanced imaging, bioinformatics and molecular biology approaches - will transform biology into a precision science.
Topics: Animals; Biological Assay; Gene Expression Profiling; Genomics; Humans; Microfluidic Analytical Techniques; Microfluidics; Models, Biological; Single-Cell Analysis
PubMed: 26296163
DOI: 10.1038/nrm4041 -
International Journal of Molecular... Mar 2010The use of biocatalysts for the production of both consumer goods and building blocks for chemical synthesis is consistently gaining relevance. A significant... (Review)
Review
The use of biocatalysts for the production of both consumer goods and building blocks for chemical synthesis is consistently gaining relevance. A significant contribution for recent advances towards further implementation of enzymes and whole cells is related to the developments in miniature reactor technology and insights into flow behavior. Due to the high level of parallelization and reduced requirements of chemicals, intensive screening of biocatalysts and process variables has become more feasible and reproducibility of the bioconversion processes has been substantially improved. The present work aims to provide an overview of the applications of miniaturized reactors in bioconversion processes, considering multi-well plates and microfluidic devices, update information on the engineering characterization of the hardware used, and present perspective developments in this area of research.
Topics: Biocatalysis; Bioreactors; Microfluidics
PubMed: 20479988
DOI: 10.3390/ijms11030858 -
Drug Delivery Dec 2022Microfluidics is used to manipulate fluid flow in micro-channels to fabricate drug delivery vesicles in a uniform tunable size. Thanks to their designs, microfluidic... (Review)
Review
Microfluidics is used to manipulate fluid flow in micro-channels to fabricate drug delivery vesicles in a uniform tunable size. Thanks to their designs, microfluidic technology provides an alternative and versatile platform over traditional formulation methods of nanoparticles. Understanding the factors that affect the formulation of nanoparticles can guide the proper selection of microfluidic design and the operating parameters aiming at producing nanoparticles with reproducible properties. This review introduces the microfluidic systems' continuous flow (single-phase) and segmented flow (multiphase) and their different mixing parameters and mechanisms. Furthermore, microfluidic approaches for efficient production of nanoparticles as surface modification, anti-fouling, and post-microfluidic treatment are summarized. The review sheds light on the used microfluidic systems and operation parameters applied to prepare and fine-tune nanoparticles like lipid, poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA)-based nanoparticles as well as cross-linked nanoparticles. The approaches for scale-up production using microfluidics for clinical or industrial use are also highlighted. Furthermore, the use of microfluidics in preparing novel micro/nanofluidic drug delivery systems is presented. In conclusion, the characteristic vital features of microfluidics offer the ability to develop precise and efficient drug delivery nanoparticles.
Topics: Microfluidics; Nanoparticles; Technology, Pharmaceutical
PubMed: 35612293
DOI: 10.1080/10717544.2022.2069878 -
Topics in Current Chemistry (Cham) Oct 2016A compact snapshot of the current convergence of novel developments relevant to chemical engineering is given. Process intensification concepts are analysed through the... (Review)
Review
A compact snapshot of the current convergence of novel developments relevant to chemical engineering is given. Process intensification concepts are analysed through the lens of microfluidics and sonochemistry. Economical drivers and their influence on scientific activities are mentioned, including innovation opportunities towards deployment into society. We focus on the control of cavitation as a means to improve the energy efficiency of sonochemical reactors, as well as in the solids handling with ultrasound; both are considered the most difficult hurdles for its adoption in a practical and industrial sense. Particular examples for microfluidic clogging prevention, numbering-up and scaling-up strategies are given. To conclude, an outlook of possible new directions of this active and promising combination of technologies is hinted.
Topics: Crystallization; Durapatite; Microfluidics; Sonication
PubMed: 27654863
DOI: 10.1007/s41061-016-0070-y -
International Journal of Molecular... Sep 2015The basic structural and functional unit of a living organism is a single cell. To understand the variability and to improve the biomedical requirement of a single cell,... (Review)
Review
The basic structural and functional unit of a living organism is a single cell. To understand the variability and to improve the biomedical requirement of a single cell, its analysis has become a key technique in biological and biomedical research. With a physical boundary of microchannels and microstructures, single cells are efficiently captured and analyzed, whereas electric forces sort and position single cells. Various microfluidic techniques have been exploited to manipulate single cells through hydrodynamic and electric forces. Digital microfluidics (DMF), the manipulation of individual droplets holding minute reagents and cells of interest by electric forces, has received more attention recently. Because of ease of fabrication, compactness and prospective automation, DMF has become a powerful approach for biological application. We review recent developments of various microfluidic chips for analysis of a single cell and for efficient genetic screening. In addition, perspectives to develop analysis of single cells based on DMF and emerging functionality with high throughput are discussed.
Topics: Animals; Automation, Laboratory; High-Throughput Screening Assays; Humans; Microfluidics; Single-Cell Analysis
PubMed: 26389890
DOI: 10.3390/ijms160922319 -
Cytometry. Part a : the Journal of the... Oct 2018Last decade's advancements in optofluidics allowed obtaining an ever increasing integration of different functionalities in lab on chip devices to culture, analyze, and... (Review)
Review
Last decade's advancements in optofluidics allowed obtaining an ever increasing integration of different functionalities in lab on chip devices to culture, analyze, and manipulate single cells and entire biological specimens. Despite the importance of optical imaging for biological sample monitoring in microfluidics, imaging is traditionally achieved by placing microfluidics channels in standard bench-top optical microscopes. Recently, the development of either integrated optical elements or lensless imaging methods allowed optical imaging techniques to be implemented in lab on chip systems, thus increasing their automation, compactness, and portability. In this review, we discuss known solutions to implement microscopes on chip that exploit different optical methods such as bright-field, phase contrast, holographic, and fluorescence microscopy.
Topics: Automation; Holography; Humans; Lab-On-A-Chip Devices; Microfluidic Analytical Techniques; Microfluidics; Microscopy; Optical Imaging
PubMed: 30211977
DOI: 10.1002/cyto.a.23589 -
Biosensors & Bioelectronics Feb 2023The effective analysis of the basic structure and functional information of bioparticles are of great significance for the early diagnosis of diseases. The synergism... (Review)
Review
The effective analysis of the basic structure and functional information of bioparticles are of great significance for the early diagnosis of diseases. The synergism between microfluidics and particle manipulation/detection technologies offers enhanced system integration capability and test accuracy for the detection of various bioparticles. Most microfluidic detection platforms are based on optical strategies such as fluorescence, absorbance, and image recognition. Although optical microfluidic platforms have proven their capabilities in the practical clinical detection of bioparticles, shortcomings such as expensive components and whole bulky devices have limited their practicality in the development of point-of-care testing (POCT) systems to be used in remote and underdeveloped areas. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop cost-effective non-optical microfluidic platforms for bioparticle detection that can act as alternatives to optical counterparts. In this review, we first briefly summarise passive and active methods for bioparticle manipulation in microfluidics. Then, we survey the latest progress in non-optical microfluidic strategies based on electrical, magnetic, and acoustic techniques for bioparticle detection. Finally, a perspective is offered, clarifying challenges faced by current non-optical platforms in developing practical POCT devices and clinical applications.
Topics: Microfluidics; Biosensing Techniques; Point-of-Care Testing; Point-of-Care Systems; Microfluidic Analytical Techniques; Lab-On-A-Chip Devices
PubMed: 36470061
DOI: 10.1016/j.bios.2022.114944