Electrotaxis of oral squamous cell carcinoma cells in a multiple-electric-field chip with uniform flow field.

Abstract

We report a new design of microfluidic chip (Multiple electric Field with Uniform Flow chip, MFUF chip) to create multiple electric field strengths (EFSs) while providing a uniform flow field simultaneously. MFUF chip was fabricated from poly-methyl methacrylates (PMMA) substrates by using CO2 laser micromachining. A microfluidic network with interconnecting segments was utilized to de-couple the flow field and the electric field (EF). Using our special design, different EFSs were obtained in channel segments that had an identical cross-section and therefore a uniform flow field. Four electric fields with EFS ratio of 7.9:2.8:1:0 were obtained with flow velocity variation of only 7.8% CV (coefficient of variation). Possible biological effect of shear force can therefore be avoided. Cell behavior under three EFSs and the control condition, where there is no EF, was observed in a single experiment. We validated MFUF chip performance using lung adenocarcinoma cell lines and then used the chip to study the electrotaxis of HSC-3, an oral squamous cell carcinoma cell line. The MFUF chip has high throughput capability for studying the EF-induced cell behavior under various EFSs, including the control condition (EFS = 0).

• Authors: Hsieh-Fu Tsai, Shih-Wei Peng, Chun-Ying Wu, Hui-Fang Chang, Ji-Yen Cheng
• Journal: Biomicrofluidics (Biomicrofluidics) Vol. 6 Issue 3 Pg. 34116 ( 2012) ISSN: 1932-1058 [Print] United States
• PMID: 24009650 (Publication Type: Journal Article)