Microfluidic devices have become a technology capable of precise control over the chemical and physical microenvironment, leading to applications across nearly all fields of biology, including breast cancer research. A five- channel microfluidic device can be used to simulate the TME and observe how cancer, stromal, and immune cells interact to identify the paracrine signals that drive tumor progression and cancer metastasis. The outermost and center channels are separated by channels consisting of an array of trapezoids filled with collagen to separate yet chemically connect them. The trapezoid channels were designed to use surface tension to keep the collagen in, while the outermost channels were designed to culture different cell types, and the center channel was connected to a peristaltic pump to infuse media into the system and allow for collection of the extracellular media to identify changes in paracrine signaling. The focus during the program was to optimize the collagen hydrogel loading and devise a strategy to seed the cells to allow for the co-culture of breast cancer cells and stromal cells. This advancement in technology paves the way for understanding in how cells communicate. 27 Identification of Paracrine Signaling in the Simulated Tumor Microenvironment of Microfluidic Devices
WITH RILEY OSBOURN AND DR. ADAM MELVIN, DEPARTMENT OF CHEMICAL AND BIOMOLECULAR ENGINEERING
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