Reconfigurable open microfluidics for studying the spatiotemporal dynamics of paracrine signalling.

ABSTRACT: The study of intercellular signalling networks requires organotypic microscale systems that facilitate the culture, conditioning and manipulation of cells. Here, we describe a reconfigurable microfluidic cell-culture system that facilitates the assembly of three-dimensional tissue models by stacking layers that contain preconditioned microenvironments. By using principles of open and suspended microfluidics, the Stacks system is easily assembled or disassembled to provide spatial and temporal manoeuvrability in two-dimensional and three-dimensional assays of multiple cell types, enabling the modelling of sequential paracrine-signalling events, such as tumour-cell-mediated differentiation of macrophages and macrophage-facilitated angiogenesis. We used Stacks to recapitulate the in vivo obse

SUBMITTER: Yu J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7543914 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature