A microfluidic wound-healing assay for quantifying endothelial cell migration

Meer van der, Andries D. and Vermeul, Kim and Poot, André A. and Feijen, Jan and Vermes, István (2010) A microfluidic wound-healing assay for quantifying endothelial cell migration. American Journal of Physiology. Heart and Circulatory Physiology, 298 . H719-H725. ISSN 0363-6135

PDF
Restricted to UT campus only: Request a copy
2712Kb

Abstract:	Endothelial migration is an important process in the formation of blood vessels and the repair of damaged tissue. To study this process in the laboratory, versatile and reliable migration assays are essential. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether the microfluidic version of the conventional wound-healing assay is a useful research tool for vascular science. Endothelial cells were seeded in a 500-µm-wide microfluidic channel. After overnight incubation, cells had formed a viable and confluent monolayer. Then, a wound was generated in this monolayer by flushing the channel with three parallel fluid streams, of which the middle one contained the protease trypsin. By analyzing the closing of the wound over time, endothelial cell migration could be measured. Although the migration rate was two times lower in the microfluidic assay than in the conventional assay, an identical 1.5-times increase in migration rate was found in both assays when vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF165) was added. In the microfluidic wound-healing assay, a stable gradient of VEGF165 could be generated at the wound edge. This led to a two-times increase in migration rate compared with the untreated control. Finally, when a shear stress of 1.3 Pa was applied to the wound, the migration rate increased 1.8 times. In conclusion, the microfluidic assay is a solid alternative for the conventional wound-healing assay when endothelial cell migration is measured. Moreover, it offers unique advantages, such as gradient generation and application of shear stress.
Item Type:	Article
Copyright:	© 2007 American Physiological Society
Faculty:	Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science (EEMCS) Science and Technology (TNW)
Research Group:	Biomedical and Environmental Sensor systems (BIOS) Biomaterials Science and Technology (BST) Polymer Chemistry and BioMaterials (PBM)
Link to this item:	http://purl.utwente.nl/publications/74832
Official URL:	http://dx.doi.org/10.1152/ajpheart.00933.2009
Export this item as:	BibTeX EndNote HTML Citation Reference Manager

Show download statistics for this publication

Repository Staff Only: item control page

Metis ID: 274208