Group of Optics, Photonics and Biophotonics (GOFB), Center for Biomedical Technology, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.
Group of Organ and Tissue on-a-chip and In-Vitro Detection, Health Research Institute of the Hospital Clínico San Carlos, Madrid, Spain.
Biotechnol J. 2021 Jul;16(7):e2000355. doi: 10.1002/biot.202000355. Epub 2021 May 31.
Cultured neuronal networks (CNNs) are a robust model to closely investigate neuronal circuits' formation and monitor their structural properties evolution. Typically, neurons are cultured in plastic plates or, more recently, in microfluidic platforms with potentially a wide variety of neuroscience applications. As a biological protocol, cell culture integration with a microfluidic system provides benefits such as accurate control of cell seeding area, culture medium renewal, or lower exposure to contamination. The objective of this report is to present a novel neuronal network on a chip device, including a chamber, fabricated from PDMS, vinyl and glass connected to a microfluidic platform to perfuse the continuous flow of culture medium. Network growth is compared in chips and traditional Petri dishes to validate the microfluidic chip performance. The network assessment is performed by computing relevant topological measures like the number of connected neurons, the clustering coefficient, and the shortest path between any pair of neurons throughout the culture's life. The results demonstrate that neuronal circuits on a chip have a more stable network structure and lifespan than developing in conventional settings, and therefore this setup is an advantageous alternative to current culture methods. This technology could lead to challenging applications such as batch drug testing of in vitro cell culture models. From the engineering perspective, a device's advantage is the chance to develop custom designs more efficiently than other microfluidic systems.
培养的神经元网络 (CNNs) 是一种强大的模型，可以深入研究神经元回路的形成，并监测其结构特性的演变。通常，神经元在塑料板上培养，或者最近在微流控平台上培养，这些平台具有广泛的神经科学应用潜力。作为一种生物协议，细胞培养与微流控系统的结合提供了许多好处，例如可以精确控制细胞接种面积、培养基更新，或减少暴露于污染的风险。本报告的目的是介绍一种新型的神经元网络芯片设备，该设备包括一个由 PDMS、乙烯基和玻璃制成的腔室，与微流控平台相连，以灌注连续的培养基流。通过比较芯片和传统培养皿中的网络生长情况来验证微流控芯片的性能。通过计算相关的拓扑度量，如连接神经元的数量、聚类系数以及整个培养过程中任意两个神经元之间的最短路径，来评估网络。结果表明，与传统环境相比，芯片上的神经元回路具有更稳定的网络结构和更长的寿命，因此这种设置是当前培养方法的一个有利替代方案。这项技术可以应用于在体外细胞培养模型中进行批量药物测试等具有挑战性的应用。从工程角度来看，该设备的优势在于可以比其他微流控系统更有效地开发定制设计。
