Quantifying Deformation and Migration Properties of U87 Glioma Cells Using Dielectrophoretic Forces.

Glioblastoma multiforme is one of the most aggressive malignant primary brain tumors. To design effective treatment strategies, we need to better understand the behavior of glioma cells while maintaining their genetic and phenotypic stability. Here, we investigated the deformation and migration profile of U87 Glioma cells under the influence of dielectrophoretic forces.

Analysis of U87 glioma cells by dielectrophoresis.

Glioblastoma multiforme is the most aggressive and invasive brain cancer consisting of genetically and phenotypically altering glial cells. It has massive heterogeneity due to its highly complex and dynamic microenvironment. Here, electrophysiological properties of U87 human glioma cell line were measured based on a dielectrophoresis phenomenon to quantify the population heterogeneity of glioma cells.

Long-term migratory velocity measurements of single glioma cells using microfluidics.

Microfluidic platforms enabling single-cell measurements notably contribute to the identification and observation of rare cancer cells that are involved in tumor invasion. Most aggressive, invasive, and heterogeneous glioblastoma cells cause incurable primary brain tumors. Infiltrating gliomas of a brain tumor microenvironment have been intensively studied using conventional assays.

Single Cell Level Dielectrophoretic Responses & Dielectrophoretic Deformations of Monocytes to Quantify Population Heterogeneity.

Single-cell dielectrophoretic movement and dielectrophoretic deformation of monocyte cells were interrogated applying 20 V, 50 kHz to 1 MHz signal in the 3D carbon electrode array. Heterogeneity of the monocyte population is shown in terms of the crossover frequencies, translational movement, and deformation index of the cells. The results presented that crossover range for monocytes was 100 kHz - 200 kHz, the translational movement of the cells was rapidly altered when the initial positions of the cells were in the negative dielectrophoretic region.

Single-Cell Mechanophenotyping in Microfluidics to Evaluate Behavior of U87 Glioma Cells.

Integration of microfabricated, single-cell resolution and traditional, population-level biological assays will be the future of modern techniques in biology that will enroll in the evolution of biology into a precision scientific discipline. In this study, we developed a microfabricated cell culture platform to investigate the indirect influence of macrophages on glioma cell behavior. We quantified proliferation, morphology, motility, migration, and deformation properties of glioma cells at single-cell level and compared these results with population-level data.

Quantifying Heterogeneity According to Deformation of the U937 Monocytes and U937-Differentiated Macrophages Using 3D Carbon Dielectrophoresis in Microfluidics.

A variety of force fields have thus far been demonstrated to investigate electromechanical properties of cells in a microfluidic platform which, however, are mostly based on fluid shear stress and may potentially cause irreversible cell damage. This work presents dielectric movement and deformation measurements of U937 monocytes and U937-differentiated macrophages in a low conductive medium inside a 3D carbon electrode array. Here, monocytes exhibited a crossover frequency around 150 kHz and presented maximum deformation index at 400 kHz and minimum deformation index at 1 MHz frequencies at 20 V.