An Injection-Molded Modified Silicone Rubber for Cancer-on-Chip Applications

Ben J. Haspels, Frederikus Bakker, Lucas J.A.M. Beckers, Roland Kanaar, Koen C. Kriege, Susanne M. Valster, Roland C.M. Vulders, Maayke M.P. Kuijten*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

19 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

For drug screening and personalized medicine approaches, cancer-on-chip (CoC) models are valuable as these systems enable precise control of cellular and tissue architecture and can be equipped with micro-sensors for real-time monitoring of physiological responses to drugs. Accurate design of the microfluidic device is important to allow recapitulation of key factors of a tumor and its microenvironment. Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) is widely used as material for microfluidics due to its favorable characteristics including low cost, suitability for rapid prototyping, optical transparency, and biocompatibility. However, the hydrophobic nature of PDMS complicates its use in microfluidic devices. Here, the characterization and application of an injection-molded functionalized PDMS fluidic insert for the commercially available Micronit system are described. The injection-molded PDMS has been modified with carboxyl groups to accommodate cell culture on its surface and to covalently bind proteins for long-lasting coating of the PDMS surface required for flow-conditions. Modification of PDMS does not change its favorable properties such as its high optical transparency and absence of auto-fluorescence. The modified PDMS fluidic inserts are suitable for building relevant cancer models on chip and do not show absorption of small molecules such as doxorubicin, allowing their use for drug screening and personalized medicine approaches on chip.

Original languageEnglish
Article number2401450
JournalAdvanced Materials Technologies
DOIs
Publication statusE-pub ahead of print - 12 Feb 2025

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2025 The Author(s). Advanced Materials Technologies published by Wiley-VCH GmbH.

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'An Injection-Molded Modified Silicone Rubber for Cancer-on-Chip Applications'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this