Microfluidic systems are attracting increasing interest for the high-throughput measurement of cellular biophysical properties and for the creation of engineered cellular microenvironments. Here we review recent appli...
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Microfluidic systems are attracting increasing interest for the high-throughput measurement of cellular biophysical properties and for the creation of engineered cellular microenvironments. Here we review recent applications of microfluidic technologies to the mechanics of living cells and synthetic cell-mimetic systems. We begin by discussing the use of microfluidic devices to dissect the mechanics of cellular mimics, such as capsules and vesicles. We then explore applications to circulating cells, including erythrocytes and other normal blood cells, and rare populations with potential disease diagnostic value, such as circulating tumor cells. We conclude by discussing how microfluidic devices have been used to investigate the mechanics, chemotaxis, and invasive migration of adherent cells. In these ways, microfluidic technologies represent an increasingly important toolbox for investigating cellular mechanics and motility at high throughput and in a format that lends itself to clinical translation.
Solid tumors are characterized by a remodeled and stiffened extracellular matrix. The extracellular matrix is not a passive by-product of the tumor, but actively compromises tissue-specific differentiation, enhances t...
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Solid tumors are characterized by a remodeled and stiffened extracellular matrix. The extracellular matrix is not a passive by-product of the tumor, but actively compromises tissue-specific differentiation, enhances tumor cell proliferation and survival, and fosters tumor cell invasion and migration. The tumor extracellular matrix also influences the behavior of the stromal cells, which through vicious, feedforward-reinforcing pathways promote tumor progression and compromise treatment efficacy. To investigate how the tumor extracellular matrix alters cancer phenotype and treatment, a number of three-dimensional, organotypic culture models have been developed that employ a variety of materials, including natural matrices, collagen, fibrin, and reconstituted basement membrane gels, as well as synthetic hydrogel materials such as polyacrylamide and polyethylene glycol. These models have been used to interrogate how specific microenvironmental features modify tumor and stromal cell function and to identify the molecular mechanisms that regulate tumorigenesis and therapeutic efficacy. To translate these findings into more effective treatment strategies for patients, clinically informed studies are needed that incorporate computational modeling and in vivo validation.
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