Physical cell interactions with their surrounding materials: Mechanics and geometrical factors using microfluidic platforms.

摘要

Microfluidics platforms are employed in: "sperm motion in a microfluidic device" and "mechanical interactions of mammary gland cells with their surrounding three dimensional extra-cellular matrix".;Microfluidics has shown promise as a new platform for assisted reproduction. Sperm and fluid motion in microchannels was studied to understand the flow characteristics in the device, how sperm interacted with this flow, and how sperm-oocyte attachment occurs in the device. A threshold fluid velocity was found where sperm transition from traveling with the fluid to a regime in which they can move independently. A population of sperm remained in the inlet well area. There was also the tendency of sperm to travel along surface contours. These observations provide an improved understanding of sperm motion in microchannels and a basis for improved device designs.;The effort to understand the development of breast cancer motivates the study of mammary gland cells and their interactions with the extra-cellular matrix. Mammographic density is a risk factor for breast cancer which correlates with collagen density affects cell behavior. Collagen gels with concentrations of 1.3, 2, and 3 mg/mL, were tensile tested to obtain the Young's modulus, E, at low displacement rates of 0.01, 0.1, and 1 mm/min. Local strain measurement in the gage section were used for both strain and strain rate determination. Local strain rates were on the order of cellular generated strain rate. A power law fitting described the relationship between Young's modulus and local strain rate.;Mammary gland cells were seeded with collagen and fluorescent beads into microchannels and observed via four-dimensional imaging. The displacements of the beads were used to calculate strains. The Young's modulus due to the rate at which the cell was straining the collagen was obtained from the aforementioned fittings. Three-dimensional elastic theory for an isotropic material was employed to calculate the stress. The cells in the more compliant gels achieved higher strains. The stresses portrayed a fluctuating behavior. This technique adds to the field of measuring cell generated stresses by providing the capability of measuring 3D stresses locally around the single cell and using physiologically relevant materials properties for analysis.