| It is very imperative to develop new in vitro platforms that can help in studying the complex interactions that occur between cell-extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins and also during the process of cell migration in vivo. Such tools would facilitate in better understanding of the mechanisms that are employed by the cells during growth and migration. There are two devices presented in this study; (1) Multi-biomolecule coated lane device for unbiased cell preferential migration and (2) Novel microchannel device for real time monitoring of tumor cell migration.;The Multi-biomolecule coated lane device is an in vitro platform that helps in studying cell-biomolecule interaction using microfluidics systems. It provides an unbiased cell-ECM interaction with up to 20 biomolecules as compared to the commercially available techniques that restrict to 2 biomolecules at a time. The device is fabricated using Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), consisting of multiple protein lanes and a separate cell seeding area. Different proteins (fibronectin, laminin, collagen type 1, vitronectin, bovine serum albumin, Aggrecan) were seeded into the lanes and were allowed to be absorbed on to the substrate in cell culture incubator. Unbound proteins were washed and mammalian neuronal cells and human glioblastoma multiforme (hGBM) cells were seeded in the cell seeding area. It was seen that the cortical neurons showed a growth towards Laminin, fibronectin, collagen type 1, vitronectin and BSA, but aggrecan inhibited the growth of axons and astrocytes. Dorsal root ganglion (DRG) and Schwann cells showed a robust growth towards the lanes containing collagen type 1, fibronectin and Laminin. The hGBM cells migrated and showed the maximum migration on laminin compared to other proteins. Migration was also observed in lanes containing collagen type1, fibronectin and BSA. This platform presented here introduces a new scientific technique to study the interaction of different cells with proteins and other biomolecules to throw light on the complex interactions occurring in vivo.;Novel microchannel device for real time monitoring of tumor cell migration is a microfluidic device consisting of two different microchannel patterns; (1) Taper design: with the channels tapering towards the distal end reservoir (from 20 mum, 15 mum, 10 mum, 8 mum to 5 mum) for studying single cell migration with respect to space, (2) Multichannel design: with adjacent lanes of different dimensions (20 mum, 15 mum, 10 im, 8 mum and 5 mum). The device substrate was coated with laminin followed by seeding of primary human Glioblastoma Multiforme cells. Images were taken during the course of cell migration through the channels and were quantified for the rate of migration. The cells underwent massive morphological changes in narrow spaces and there was a significant difference in the rate of migration between the 5 mum lane and 15 mum. This serves as a new platform to understand the mechanisms involved in cancer migration with respect to availability of space and this would contribute in betterment of current treatment procedures associated with the treatment of GBM. |
