Name: assessing neural stem cell motility using an agarose gel-based microfluidic device
Uploaded: 2008-02-11T02:20:00
Description: Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Assessing Neural Stem Cell Motility Using an Agarose Gel-based Microfluidic Device at JoVE.com

This work is supported by the New York State Office of Science, Technology and Academic Research (NYSTAR) (in the form of a Center for Advanced Technology grant), and by grants from the Nanobiotechnology Center (NBTC), an STC Program of the National Science Foundation under Agreement No. ECS-9876771, and the American Brain Tumor Association and the New York Academy of Medicine (JAB).

Procedure
Coating slides with fibronectin
Prior to the assembling of the microfluidic device, sterilize glass slides with fibronectin. Coat the slides in a biohood to maintain sterility. Align a&nbsp;sterile PDMS spacer&nbsp;along the edges of the slide and mark the side that is facing up with a permanent marker. Pipette 1 ml of a 5 &mu;g/ml solution of fibronectin (Sigma) inside the PDMS spacer&nbsp;over the entirety of the glass slide. Leave the slides undisturbed for ...

<ol>
	<li>Blow, N. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Microfluidics:+in+search+of+a+killer+application.">Microfluidics: in search of a killer application.</a> Nature Methods. 4, 665-670 (2007).</li><li>Shing-Yi Cheng, S. H., Wassweman, M. a. x., Archer, S. h. i. v. a. u. n., Shuler, M. i. c. h. a. e. l. . L., Wu, M. i. n. g. m. i. n. g. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=A+hydrogel-based+microfluidic+device+for+the+studies+of+directed+cell+migration.">A hydrogel-based microfluidic device for the studies of directed cell migration.</a> Lab-on-a-chip. 7, 763-769 (2007).</li><li>Pedersen, M. W., Tkach, V., Pedersen, N., Berezin, V., Poulsen, H. S. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Expression+of+a+naturally+occurring+constitutively+active+variant+of+the+epidermal+growth+factor+receptor+in+mouse+fibroblasts+increases+motility.">Expression of a naturally occurring constitutively active variant of the epidermal growth factor receptor in mouse fibroblasts increases motility.</a> Int J Cancer. 108, 643-653 (2004).</li><li>Ayuso-Sacido, A., Graham, C., Greenfield, J. P., Boockvar, J. A. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=The+duality+of+EGFR+signaling+and+neural+stem+cell+phenotype:+Cell+enhancer+or+cell+transformer.">The duality of EGFR signaling and neural stem cell phenotype: Cell enhancer or cell transformer.</a> Current Stem Cell Research and Therapy. 1, 231-238 (2006).</li><li>Eisenbach, M., Constantinou, C., Aloni, H., Shinitzky, M. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Repellents+for+Escherichia+coli+operate+neither+by+changing+membrane+fluidity+nor+by+being+sensed+by+periplasmic+receptors+during+chemotaxis.">Repellents for Escherichia coli operate neither by changing membrane fluidity nor by being sensed by periplasmic receptors during chemotaxis.</a> J Bacteriol. 172, 5218-5224 (1990).</li><li>Snyder, E. Y., Deitcher, D. L., Walsh, C., Arnold-Aldea, S., Hartwieg, E. A., Cepko, C. L. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Multipotent+neural+cell+lines+can+engraft+and+participate+in+development+of+mouse+cerebellum.">Multipotent neural cell lines can engraft and participate in development of mouse cerebellum.</a> Cell. 68, 33-51 (1992).</li><li>Snyder, E. Y., Yoon, C., Flax, J. D., Macklis, J. D. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Multipotent+neural+precursors+can+differentiate+toward+replacement+of+neurons+undergoing+targeted+apoptotic+degeneration+in+adult+mouse+neocortex.">Multipotent neural precursors can differentiate toward replacement of neurons undergoing targeted apoptotic degeneration in adult mouse neocortex.</a> Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 94, 11663-11668 (1997).</li></ol>

Fig. 1 shows trajectories of three NSC strains, the parental cells, the wtEGFR and the &Delta;EGFR (control). Each set of trajectories were obtained from a 5 hours long movie. For parental cells, cell motility peaked when EGF concentration was ~ 10ng/ml; for wtEGFR cells, cell motility peak shifted to 100ng/ml or above; for &Delta;EGFR cells, the cell motility was independent of EGF concentration as expected.

The wtEGF cells with 100ng/ml were the most motile cells, they moved about 1....

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		<thead>
		<tr>
		<th>Material Name</th>
		<th>Type</th>
		<th>Company</th>
		<th>Catalogue Number</th>
		<th>Comment</th>
		</tr>
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<tr>
<td>Dulbecco's Modified Eagle Medium (DMEM) (1X)</td>
<td>Reagent</td>
<td>Invitrogen</td>
<td>11971-025</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>CO2-independent media</td>
<td>Reagent</td>
<td>Invitrogen</td>
<td>18045-088</td>
<td>A non-HEPES proprietary medium suitable for supporting cell growth for a variety of epithelial, fibroblast, and lymphoid cell lines in atmospheric conditions, contains no L-glutamine</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Trypsin-EDTA</td>
<td>Reagent</td>
<td>Invitrogen</td>
<td>25200-072</td>
<td>&nbsp;</td>
<tr>
<td>PBS</td>
<td>Reagent</td>
<td>Invitrogen</td>
<td>14190-144</td>
<td>Phosphate-buffered saline, without calcium or magnesium</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Pen/Strep</td>
<td>Reagent</td>
<td>Invitrogen</td>
<td>15140-122</td>
<td>Contains 10,000 units of penicillin (base) and 10,000 g of streptomycin (base)/ml utilizing penicillin G (sodium salt) and streptomycin sulfate in 0.85% saline</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>FBS</td>
<td>Reagent</td>
<td>Invitrogen</td>
<td>10437-028</td>
<td>Fetal Bovine Serum, Qualified</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Horse Serum</td>
<td>Reagent</td>
<td>Invitrogen</td>
<td>16050-130</td>
<td>Horse Serum, EIA tested (negative) serum</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Fibronectin</td>
<td>Reagent</td>
<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
<td>F0895</td>
<td>Fibronectin from human plasma, also called cold insoluble globulin</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>EGF</td>
<td>Reagent</td>
<td>Sigma-Aldrich</td>
<td>E4127</td>
<td>Epidermal Growth Factor from murine submaxillary gland, lyophilized</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Agarose</td>
<td>Reagent</td>
<td>FisherScientific</td>
<td>BP1356-500</td>
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assessing neural stem cell motility using an agarose gel-based microfluidic device

While microfluidic technology is reaching a new level of maturity for macromolecular assays, cell-based assays are still at an infant stage1. This is largely due to the difficulty with which one can create a cell-compatible and steady microenvironment using conventional microfabrication techniques and materials. We address this problem via the introduction of a novel microfabrication material, agarose gel, as the base material for the microfluidic device. Agarose gel is highly malleable, and permeable to gas and nutrients necessary for cell survival, and thus an ideal material for cell-based assays. We have shown previously that agarose gel based devices have been successful in studying bacterial and neutrophil cell migration2. In this report, three parallel microfluidic channels are patterned in an agarose gel membrane of about 1mm thickness. Constant flows with media/buffer are maintained in the two side channels using a peristaltic pump. Cells are maintained in the center channel for observation. Since the nutrients and chemicals in the side channels are constantly diffusing from the side to center channel, the chemical environment of the center channel is easily controlled via the flow along the side channels. Using this device, we demonstrate that the movement of neural stem cells can be monitored optically with ease under various chemical conditions, and the experimental results show that the over expression of epidermal growth factor receptors (EGFR) enhances the motility of neural stem cells. Motility of neural stem cells is an important biomarker for assessing cells aggressiveness, thus tumorigenic factor3. Deciphering the mechanism underlying NSC motility will yield insight into both disorders of neural development and into brain cancer stem cell invasion.

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Assessing Neural Stem Cell Motility Using an Agarose Gel-based Microfluidic Device at JoVE.com

Assessing Neural Stem Cell Motility Using an Agarose Gel-based Microfluidic Device

We demonstrate that the over expression of epidermal growth factor receptors (EGFR) enhances the motility of neural stem cells(NSCs) using a novel agarose gel based microfluidic device. This technology can be readily adaptable to other mammalian cell systems where cell sources are scarce, such as human neural stem cells, and the turn around time is critical.

While microfluidic technology is reaching a new level of maturity for macromolecular assays, cell-based assays are still at an infant stage1. This is ...

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