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Human neural stem cell growth and differentiation in a gradient-generating microfluidic device
Cited 417 time in
Web of Science
Cited 470 time in Scopus
- Authors
- Issue Date
- 2005-03-09
- Publisher
- Royal Society of Chemistry
- Citation
- Lab Chip, 2005, 5, 164-167
- Keywords
- human neural stem cell ; gradient ; microfluidic device
- Abstract
- This paper describes a gradient-generating microfluidic platform for optimizing proliferation and
differentiation of neural stem cells (NSCs) in culture. Microfluidic technology has great potential
to improve stem cell (SC) cultures, whose promise in cell–based therapies is limited by the inability
to precisely control their behavior in culture. Compared to traditional culture tools, microfluidic
platforms should provide much greater control over cell microenvironment and rapid
optimization of media composition using relatively small numbers of cells. Our platform exposes
cells to a concentration gradient of growth factors under continuous flow, thus minimizing
autocrine and paracrine signaling. Human NSCs (hNSCs) from the developing cerebral cortex
were cultured for more than 1 week in the microfluidic device while constantly exposed to a
continuous gradient of a growth factor (GF) mixture containing epidermal growth factor (EGF),
fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2) and platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF). Proliferation and
differentiation of NSCs into astrocytes were monitored by time-lapse microscopy and
immunocytochemistry. The NSCs remained healthy throughout the entire culture period, and
importantly, proliferated and differentiated in a graded and proportional fashion that varied
directly with GF concentration. These concentration-dependent cellular responses were
quantitatively similar to those measured in control chambers built into the device and in parallel
cultures using traditional 6-well plates. This gradient-generating microfluidic platform should be
useful for a wide range of basic and applied studies on cultured cells, including SCs.
- ISSN
- 1473-0197
- Language
- English
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