Microfluidic device generating stable concentration gradients for long term cell culture: application to Wnt3a regulation of β-catenin signaling.

ABSTRACT: In developing tissues, proteins and signaling molecules present themselves in the form of concentration gradients, which determine the fate specification and behavior of the sensing cells. To mimic these conditions in vitro, we developed a microfluidic device designed to generate stable concentration gradients at low hydrodynamic shear and allowing long term culture of adhering cells. The gradient forms in a culture space between two parallel laminar flow streams of culture medium at two different concentrations of a given morphogen. The exact algorithm for defining the concentration gradients was established with the aid of mathematical modeling of flow and mass transport. Wnt3a regulation of β-catenin signaling was chosen as a case study. The highly conserved Wnt-activated β-catenin path

SUBMITTER: Cimetta E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4106280 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature