Microfluidics-based devices: New tools for studying cancer and cancer stem cell migration

• DOI: 10.1063/1.3555195
• Publication Date: 2011-04-01T16:52:00Z
• Authors: Yu Huang; Basheal Agrawal; Dandan Sun; John S. Kuo; Justin C. Williams
• Keywords: 0303 health sciences; 03 medical and health sciences; 3. Good health

Cell movement is highly sensitive to stimuli from the extracellular matrix and media. Receptors on plasma membrane in cells can activate signal transduction pathways that change mechanical behavior of a cell by reorganizing motion-related organelles. Cancer their migration mechanisms response different environments more robustly than noncancer cells. Therefore, therapeutic approaches immobilize cancer via inhibition related rely better understanding mechanisms. In recent years, engineers have been working with biologists apply microfluidics technology study migration. As opposed conventional cultures dishes, deals manipulation fluids are geometrically constrained submillimeter scale. Such small scales offer number advantages including cost effectiveness, low consumption reagents, high sensitivity, spatiotemporal resolution, laminar flow. has potential as new platform this review, we summarized progress application other researches. These studies enhanced our invasion well responses subtle variations microenvironment. We hope review will serve an interdisciplinary guidance for both they further develop microfluidic toolbox toward applications research.