Microfluidic devices for neutrophil chemotaxis studies

Abstract

Neutrophil chemotaxis plays a vital role in human immune system. Compared with traditional cell migration assays, the emergence of microfluidics provides a new research platform of cell chemotaxis study due to the advantages of visualization, precise control of chemical gradient, and small consumption of reagents. A series of microfluidic devices have been fabricated to study the behavior of neutrophils exposed on controlled, stable, and complex profiles of chemical concentration gradients. In addition, microfluidic technology offers a promising way to integrate the other functions, such as cell culture, separation and analysis into a single chip. Therefore, an overview of recent developments in microfluidic-based neutrophil chemotaxis studies is presented. Meanwhile, the strength and drawbacks of these devices are compared.