Microfluidic Platforms to Unravel Mysteries of Alzheimer’s Disease: How Far Have We Come?

Life

Debabrata Mandal¹  Niraj Kumar Jha²  Saurabh Kumar Jha²  Pardeep Yadav²  Shweta Rathee³  Ankur Sharma⁴  Piyush Kumar Gupta⁴  Vedanabhatla Rahul⁵  Shreesh Ojha⁶  Macherla Sharath Chandra Goud⁷  Pragya Prasanna⁷  Chiara Villa⁸  Susan Hawthorne⁹ 

[1] Department of Biotechnology, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Hajipur 844101, Bihar, India;Department of Biotechnology, School of Engineering and Technology (SET), Sharda University, Greater Noida 201310, Uttar Pradesh, India;Department of Food Science and Technology, National Institute of Food Technology, Entrepreneurship and Management, Sonipat 131028, Haryana, India;Department of Life Sciences, School of Basic Science and Research (SBSR), Sharda University, Greater Noida 201310, Uttar Pradesh, India;Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Institute of Technology, Rourkela 769008, Odisha, India;Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, P.O. Box 17666, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain 15551, United Arab Emirates;School of Applied Sciences, KK University, Nalanda 803115, Bihar, India;School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, 20900 Monza, Italy;School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ulster University, Cromore Road, Coleraine, Co., Londonderry BT52 1SA, UK;

关键词: Alzheimer’s disease;    microfluidics;    lab-on-chip;    3D culture;    organ-on-chip;   

DOI  :  10.3390/life11101022

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a significant health concern with enormous social and economic impact globally. The gradual deterioration of cognitive functions and irreversible neuronal losses are primary features of the disease. Even after decades of research, most therapeutic options are merely symptomatic, and drugs in clinical practice present numerous side effects. Lack of effective diagnostic techniques prevents the early prognosis of disease, resulting in a gradual deterioration in the quality of life. Furthermore, the mechanism of cognitive impairment and AD pathophysiology is poorly understood. Microfluidics exploits different microscale properties of fluids to mimic environments on microfluidic chip-like devices. These miniature multichambered devices can be used to grow cells and 3D tissues in vitro, analyze cell-to-cell communication, decipher the roles of neural cells such as microglia, and gain insights into AD pathophysiology. This review focuses on the applications and impact of microfluidics on AD research. We discuss the technical challenges and possible solutions provided by this new cutting-edge technique to understand disease-associated pathways and mechanisms.

【 授权许可】

Unknown