Microfluidic capillary transit velocity as a functional measure for sickle cell disease and <i>in vitro</i>-derived red blood cells.

ABSTRACT: Emerging therapies in sickle cell disease (SCD) aim to restore healthy red blood cell (RBC) function, but they often yield heterogeneous cellular responses. There are no proven techniques to evaluate restored rheological functionality and heterogeneity in these RBCs. We present a biomimetic microcapillary network, high-speed imaging, and computational algorithms to analyze RBC capillary velocity profiles of the entire sample population at single-cell resolution. Using peripheral RBCs from SCD patients and healthy donors, we showed that RBC capillary transit velocity correlated with cell shape, hydrodynamic adaptability, and elongation index. Healthy RBCs exhibited a velocity distribution skewed toward higher values, whereas RBCs from individuals with SCD showed a shift toward lower velocit

SUBMITTER: Oshabaheebwa S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12865529 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature