Joint Centre of Translational Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325035, China; Joint Centre of Translational Medicine, Wenzhou Institute, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325001, China.
Joint Centre of Translational Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325035, China.
Acta Biomater. 2022 Jan 15;138:21-33. doi: 10.1016/j.actbio.2021.10.037. Epub 2021 Oct 28.
Droplet microfluidic technology provides a new platform for controllable generation of microdroplets and droplet-derived materials. In particular, because of the ability in high-throughput production and accurate control of the size, structure, and function of these materials, droplet microfluidics presents unique advantages in the preparation of functional microcarriers, i.e., microsized liquid containers or solid particles that serve as substrates of biomolecules or cells. These microcarriers could be extensively applied in the areas of cell culture, tissue engineering, and drug delivery. In this review, we focus on the fabrication of microcarriers from droplet microfluidics, and discuss their applications in the biomedical field. We start with the basic principle of droplet microfluidics, including droplet generation regimes and its control methods. We then introduce the fabrication of biomedical microcarriers based on single, double, and multiple emulsion droplets, and emphasize the various applications of microcarriers in biomedical field, especially in 3D cell culture, drug development and biomedical detection. Finally, we conclude this review by discussing the limitations and challenges of droplet microfluidics in preparing microcarriers. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Because of its precise control and high throughput, droplet microfluidics has been employed to generate functional microcarriers, which have been widely used in the areas of drug development, tissue engineering, and regenerative medicine. This review is significant because it emphasizes recent progress in research on droplet microfluidics in the preparation and application of biomedical microcarriers. In addition, this review suggests research directions for the future development of biomedical microcarriers based on droplet microfluidics by presenting existing shortcomings and challenges.
液滴微流控技术为可控生成微液滴和液滴衍生材料提供了新的平台。特别是，由于其在高通量生产和对这些材料的尺寸、结构和功能进行精确控制的能力，液滴微流控在制备功能性微载体方面具有独特的优势，即作为生物分子或细胞底物的微尺寸液体容器或固体颗粒。这些微载体可以广泛应用于细胞培养、组织工程和药物输送等领域。在这篇综述中，我们重点介绍了液滴微流控技术制备微载体的方法，并讨论了它们在生物医学领域的应用。我们首先介绍了液滴微流控的基本原理，包括液滴生成的状态及其控制方法。然后，我们介绍了基于单乳液、双乳液和多乳液液滴的生物医学微载体的制备，并强调了微载体在生物医学领域的各种应用，特别是在 3D 细胞培养、药物开发和生物医学检测方面的应用。最后，我们通过讨论液滴微流控在制备微载体方面的局限性和挑战，总结了这篇综述。
由于其精确的控制和高通量，液滴微流控技术已被用于生成功能微载体，这些微载体已广泛应用于药物开发、组织工程和再生医学等领域。这篇综述的意义在于强调了液滴微流控技术在制备和应用生物医学微载体方面的最新研究进展。此外，通过提出现有的缺点和挑战，该综述为基于液滴微流控的生物医学微载体的未来发展提出了研究方向。
