High-throughput magnetic actuation platform for cancer treatment screening
Cell-culture platforms are described that can impart cyclic strain on a biologically-relevant culture substrate. Accordingly, systems and methods of the invention can provide a more accurate model of physiological strain and forces than earlier technologies. Systems of the invention enable high-throughput experimentation in standard culturing equipment, while utilizing a 3D physiologically-relevant environment.
1 . A method for modeling mechanical forces on a cell culture, the method comprising:
providing a cell-culture platform comprising a magnet, a magnetically actuated cantilever, a non-magnetic frame, and an extracellular matrix (ECM) protein for culturing cells upon, wherein a first point of the ECM protein is directly contacting a fixed portion of a frame of the cell-culture platform and a second point of the ECM protein is directly contacting a magnetically actuated portion of a cantilever that is operably coupled to the cell-culture platform, wherein the cell-culture platform does not include any other deformable membrane supporting the ECM protein, wherein the ECM protein is at least one ECM protein selected from the group consisting of fibronectin, elastin, laminin, and vitronectin, and wherein the non-magnetic frame surrounds the magnetically actuated cantilever and the magnet is positioned within the magnetically actuated cantilever;
culturing cells on the ECM protein; and
cyclically changing the distance between the fixed portion and the actuated portion to impart strain on the ECM protein and cells cultured thereon.
2 . The method of claim 1 further comprising analyzing the cells cultured thereon after a period of cyclically changing the distance between the fixed portion and the actuated portion.
3 . The method of claim 1 wherein cyclically changing the distance is performed at a frequency of between about 0.1 and about 1.0 Hz to impart strain at a strain value between about 5% and 25%.
4 . The method of claim 1 wherein the ECM protein, the fixed portion, and the actuated portion are within a well of a multi-well plate.