Cell Interaction Chips
The interaction between cells is the basic feature of multicellular organisms and is essential for development and physiological functions at the tissue level. There are many ways of interaction between cells, such as paracrine, endocrine, gap junctions, nerve synapses, which in turn affect cell proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis, and other important physiological processes. In order to obtain information about biological functions, including cancer development and migration, wound healing, and stem cell development, it is important to understand the phenomenon of cell interactions.
Microfluidic chips are an emerging technology platform. In order to establish a more physiologically relevant co-culture cell model, microfluidics and organ-on-chip systems are used as advanced tools for studying cell-cell interactions. The development of a number of microfluidic devices for studying the interactions between heterogeneous cell populations has been reported.
Figure 1. Examples of microfluidic devices with inter-connected cell culture chambers for studying cell-to-cell interaction between 2-dimensional layers of tumor cells and various types of mammalian cells. (A) interactions between fibroblasts and tumor cells. (B) cell migration and cellular interaction between bone marrow stromal cells and liver tumor cells. (C) interaction between cancer cells and immune cells. (D) Simulate the microenvironment in the bladder by co-cultivating four different cell types in a cell culture chamber separated by a hydrogel barrier. (Rothbauer M, et al. 2018)
Alfa Chemistry has designed a variety of cell interaction chips to support customers' different cell research needs. We can also design cell interaction chips according to your needs. Please contact us for more information.
About Alfa Chemistry's Cell Interaction Chips
Our cell interaction chips can provide a three-dimensional growth environment that mimics human cells and can study the interaction between cells by controlling external conditions, such as substance concentration, solution temperature, and pH. The chip has a standard specification with a tube width of 50 μm and a depth of 50 μm. The channel size matches the cell size, and the cells can be flexibly manipulated in the chip.
Our microfluidic chip has good light transmittance and air permeability. In addition, it has good compatibility and can be used in combination with a variety of technologies. The above advantages make our microfluidic cell interaction chip widely used in the field of cell biology.
Applications
- Using this chip can further explore the relationship between cell resistance and cell density.
- The chip can flexibly adjust the ratio of different cells, the distance between cells, and assemble individual cell patterns.
- The chip realizes the linear fixation of cells and studies the direct communication of cells through gap junctions.
- The chip uses a physical capture structure to capture and repair individual cells non-specifically. The transmission of signal molecules can be tracked on a line between cells, which has the advantages of less interference and high accuracy.
Reference
- Rothbauer M, et al. (2018). "Recent advances in microfluidic technologies for cell-to-cell interaction studies." Lab Chip. 18: 249-270.
Our products and services are for research use only.
