Reconfigurable Microfluidics with Integrated Aptasensors for Monitoring Intercellular Communication

摘要

We report the development of a microsystem integrating anti-TNF-α aptasensors with vacuum-actuatable microfluidic devices that may be used to monitor intercellular communications. Actuatable chambers were used to expose to mitogen a group of ∼600 cells while not stimulating another group of monocytes only 600μm away. Co-localizing groups of cells with miniature 300μm diameter aptamer-modified electrodes enabled monitoring TNF-α release from each group independently. The microsystem allowed to observe the sequence of events that included 1) mitogenic activation of the first group of monocytes to produce TNF-α, 2) diffusion of TNF-α to the location of the second group of cells and 3) activation of the second group of cells resulting in production of TNF-α by these cells. Thus we were able to experimentally verify reciprocal paracrine cross-talk between the two groups of cells secretion the same signalling molecule. Given the prevalence of such cellular communications during injury, cancer or immune response and the dearth of available monitoring techniques, the microsystem described here is envisioned to have significant impact on cell biology.