Analytical Sciences

Basic Structure and Cell Culture Condition of a Bioartificial Renal Tubule on Chip towards a Cell-based Separation Microdevice

Xiaofang GAO,*1 Yo TANAKA,*2,*3,*4 Yasuhiko SUGII,*2,*3 Kazuma MAWATARI,*2,*3 and Takehiko KITAMORI*1,*2,*3

*1 Department of Bioengineering, School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan
*2 Department of Applied Chemistry, School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan
*3 Core Research for Evolutional Science and Technology (CREST), Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), 1-1-2 Otemachi, Chiyoda, Tokyo 100-0004, Japan
*4 Quantitative Biology Center, RIKEN Kobe Institute, 2-2-3 Minatojima-minamimachi, Chuo, Kobe 650-0047, Japan

Various separation processes have been integrated in microfluidics, such as capillary electrophoresis and chromatography, on a microchip. However, it is extremely difficult to separate a complicated biological system by conventional methods. Here, we report on a feasible structure and the culture condition of human renal proximal tubule epithelial cells (RPTECs), with the aim to construct a bioartificial renal tubule on a chip. Glass microchips and a polycarbonate membrane were sealed with no leakage after a surface modification. Furthermore, matrigel was selected as an optimized extracellular matrix (ECM) for cell-proliferation on the membrane. After culturing for 5 days, RPTECs reached confluent in the chip-membrane structure, which was confirmed by nuclei staining. So far, we have constructed the basic structure and cell proliferation circumstance for the future demonstration of the RPTECs separating function. This separation microdevice has promising potential to be applied as both a unit of a circulation cell culture system and a research platform of cell biology.

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