MEMS microwell and microcolumn arrays: Novel methods for high-throughput cell-based assays
Journal
Lab on a Chip
Journal Volume
11
Journal Issue
21
Pages
3619-3625
Date Issued
2011
Author(s)
Abstract
Although the cell-based assay is becoming more popular for high throughput drug screening and the functional characterization of disease-associated genes, most researchers in these areas do not use it because it is a complex and expensive process. We wanted to create a simple method of performing an on-chip cell-based assay. To do this, we used micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) to fabricate a microwell array chip comprised of a glass substrate covered with a photoresist film patterned to form multiple microwells and tested it in two reverse transfection experiments, an exogenous gene expression study and an endogenous gene knockdown study. It was used effectively in both. Then, using the same MEMS technology, we fabricated a complementary microcolumn array to be used as a drug carrier device to topically apply drugs to cells cultured in the microwell array. We tested the effectiveness of microwell-microcolumn on-chip cell-based assay by using it in experiments to identify epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) activity inhibitors, for which it was found to provide effective high throughput and high content functional screening. In conclusion, this new method of cell-based screening proved to be a simple and efficient method of characterizing gene function and discovering drug leads. ? The Royal Society of Chemistry 2011.
SDGs
Other Subjects
4 (3 chloroanilino) 6,7 dimethoxyquinazoline; 4 amino 7 tert butyl 5 (4 chlorophenyl)pyrazolo[3,4 d]pyrimidine; epidermal growth factor receptor kinase inhibitor; gefitinib; glass; article; cancer cell culture; drug screening; film; gene expression; gene silencing; genetic transfection; high throughput screening; human; microelectromechanical system; microwell microcolumn on chip cell based assay; priority journal
Type
journal article