Fung Wai-To, Beyzavi Ali, Abgrall Patrick, Nguyen Nam-Trung, Li Hoi-Yeung
Division of Molecular and Cell Biology, School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 60 Nanyang Drive, Singapore, 637551.
Lab Chip. 2009 Sep 7;9(17):2591-5. doi: 10.1039/b903753e. Epub 2009 Jun 9.
Embryonic stem (ES) cells are pluripotent cells, which can differentiate into any cell type. This cell type has often been implicated as an eminent source of renewable cells for tissue regeneration and cellular replacement therapies. Studies on manipulation of the various differentiation pathways have been at the forefront of research. There are many ways in which ES cells can be differentiated. One of the most common techniques is to initiate the development of embryoid bodies (EBs) by in vitro aggregation of ES cells. Thereafter, EBs can be induced to undergo differentiation into various cell lineages. In this article, we present a microfluidic platform using biocompatible materials, which is suitable for culturing EBs. The platform is based on a Y-channel device with two inlets for two different culturing media. An EB is located across both streams. Using the laminar characteristics at low Reynolds number and high Peclet numbers, we have induced cell differentiation on half of the EB while maintaining the other half in un-induced stages. The results prove the potential of using microfluidic technology for manipulation of EBs and ES cells in tissue engineering.
胚胎干细胞（ES细胞）是多能细胞，能够分化为任何细胞类型。这种细胞类型常被视为组织再生和细胞替代疗法中可再生细胞的重要来源。对各种分化途径的操控研究一直处于前沿。ES细胞有多种分化方式。最常见的技术之一是通过ES细胞的体外聚集来启动胚状体（EB）的发育。此后，EB可被诱导分化为各种细胞谱系。在本文中，我们展示了一个使用生物相容性材料的微流控平台，该平台适用于培养EB。该平台基于一个Y形通道装置，有两个入口用于两种不同的培养基。一个EB位于两条流的交汇处。利用低雷诺数和高佩克莱数下的层流特性，我们在EB的一半诱导细胞分化，而另一半保持在未诱导阶段。结果证明了在组织工程中使用微流控技术操控EB和ES细胞的潜力。
