Analytical Sciences

Drug Response Assay System in a Microchip Using Human Hepatoma Cells

Yuki TANAKA,*^1,*² Kiichi SATO,*^2,*^3,*⁴ Masayuki YAMATO,*^2,*⁵ Teruo OKANO,*^2,*⁵ and Takehiko KITAMORI*^1,*^2,*⁴

*1 Department of Applied Chemistry, School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan
*2 Core Research for Evolutional Science and Technology (CREST), Japan Science and Technology Agency, 4-1-8 Honcho, Kawaguchi, Saitama 332-0012, Japan
*3 Department of Applied Biological Chemistry, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 1-1-1 Yayoi, Bunkyo, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan
*4 Micro Chemistry Group, Special Research Laboratory for Optical Science, Kanagawa Academy of Science and Technology, 3-2-1 Sakado, Takatsu, Kawasaki 213-0012, Japan
*5 Institute of Advanced Biomedical Engineering and Science, Tokyo Women’s Medical University, 8-1 Kawada-cho, Shinjuku, Tokyo 162-8666, Japan

A microchip-based cell response assay system to an anticancer agent was developed. The hepatoma cell line HepG2 was used to assess the effects of an anticancer agent, doxorubicin. The required cell number was reduced by two orders, and the observation of the time course of cell response became possible. The system clearly showed that treatment with higher doses of the drug or longer exposure times gave more effects to cells. The possibilities of novel drug response studies or toxicity assay system were demonstrated.

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