Microfluidic Devices for Drug Delivery Systems and Drug Screening

Abstract

Microfluidic devices present unique advantages for the development of efficient drug carrier particles, cell-free protein synthesis systems, and rapid techniques for direct drug screening. Compared to bulk methods, by efficiently controlling the geometries of the fabricated chip and the flow rates of multiphase fluids, microfluidic technology enables the generation of highly stable, uniform, monodispersed particles with higher encapsulation efficiency. Since the existing preclinical models are inefficient drug screens for predicting clinical outcomes, microfluidic platforms might offer a more rapid and cost-effective alternative. Compared to 2D cell culture systems and in vivo animal models, microfluidic 3D platforms mimic the in vivo cell systems in a simple, inexpensive manner, which allows high throughput and multiplexed drug screening at the cell, organ, and whole-body levels. In this review, the generation of appropriate drug or gene carriers including different particle types using different configurations of microfluidic devices is highlighted. Additionally, this paper discusses the emergence of fabricated microfluidic cell-free protein synthesis systems for potential use at point of care as well as cell-, organ-, and human-on-a-chip models as smart, sensitive, and reproducible platforms, allowing the investigation of the effects of drugs under conditions imitating the biological system.

Keywords: and human-on-a-chip; cell-on-a-chip; drug and gene delivery systems; in vitro drug screening; organ-on-a-chip.

Figure 1

Microfluidic platforms for generation of self-assembled drug and gene carriers: (A) schematic of a simple hydrodynamic device with HFF; (B) schematic of a simple microfluidic mixing chamber; and (C) schematic of SHM for chaotic mixing Figure modified from References [19,28,29].

Figure 2

Droplets microfluidic platforms for generation of drug and gene carriers: (A) T-junction; (B) co-flowing junction; and (C) flow-focusing junction. Dispersed phase consists of divided droplets that suspended in the continuous phase Figure modified from References [44,45].

Figure 3

Schematic illustration of microfluidic platforms used to fabricate single (A) oil in water (O/W) and (B) water in oil (W/O) emulsions or double (C) oil in water in oil (O/W/O) and (D) water in oil in water (W/O/W) emulsions.

Figure 4

Schematic drawing of two different types of liposomes.

Figure 5

Schematic drawing of different types of non-spherical particles. Designing masks with different channel heights resulting in particles with different shapes, sizes and aspects ratios [123,124].

Figure 6

Schematic drawing of cell-free protein synthesis in a microfluidic device. tRNA: transport RNA; mRNA: messenger RNA.

Figure 7

Schematic drawing of 2D cell culture, cell-, organ-, and human-on-a-chip.

Figure 8

Schematic drawing of generation of Janus particles based on microfluidic chip.