Study of Bone Materials in Micro-fluidic Chip

This study aims to integrate tools and techniques in microfluidic lab-on-chip to grow bone tissues and investigate how cells interact with drugs, pathogens and bio-minerals in physiologically relevant microenvironments. Images show an example of microfluidic device, which is being developed to study the effect of nanoparticle based therapeutic interventions for osteoporosis on mouse MC-3T3 osteoblastic cells. The device architecture mimics micro-channels similar to the trabecular bone for the delivery of nutrient media, designed to provide a controlled drug concentration to cells for applications in osteogenic drug screening.

Microfluidic Scaffolds for Bone regeneration and repair

The dynamic process of bone-forming osteoblasts and bone-resorbing osteoclasts are responsible for bone remodeling and maintaining a healthy bone. Bone defects on large-scale are restored by external intervention with scaffolds. Significant advances to host cells with scaffold materials in 3D geometries using micro-engineering techniques to tailor extracellular chemistry in microfluidics create realistic in-vitro 3D cell culture model for clinical application in basic biological and pharmacological studies as well as in replacement tissues. The composition of Poly (dimethylsiloxane) PDMS advanced microfluidic device for in-vitro 3D cell culture models mimicking in-vivo physiological conditions of human organs with significant mechanical flexibility and biocompatibility on rapid-prototyping at ease. PDMS substrate at 10:2 weight ratio showed significant (MC3T3-E1 - Mouse Osteoblast cells) osteoblast cell adherence with F-actin filament of cytoskeleton structure adhesion to the substrate through integrin and the proteins molecules like α - actinin, talin and vinculin in adhesion site. Similarly, the viability of cells in PDMS substrate revealed optimistic response for osteoblast cells to advance in in-vitro cell culture model with PDMS elastomer base with curing agent at 10:2 ratio in microfluidic devices. Thus, microfluidic device with complex fluidic architecture to comprehend metabolic activity of osteoblast cells on physiological loading and immobilization will advance to reinstate bone loss incurred by astronauts in microgravity.