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Engineered bone marrow grown in a microfluidic chip device mimics living bone marrow, according to research published in Tissue Engineering.
Experiments showed the engineered bone marrow responded in a way similar to living bone marrow when exposed to damaging radiation followed by treatment with compounds that aid in blood cell recovery.
The researchers said this new bone marrow-on-a-chip device holds promise for testing and developing improved radiation countermeasures.
Yu-suke Torisawa, PhD, of Kyoto University in Japan, and his colleagues conducted this research.
The team used a tissue engineering approach to induce formation of new marrow-containing bone in mice. They then surgically removed the bone, placed it in a microfluidic device, and continuously perfused it with medium in vitro.
Next, the researchers set out to determine if the device would keep the engineered bone marrow alive so they could perform tests on it.
To test the system, the team analyzed the dynamics of blood cell production and evaluated the radiation-protecting effects of granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) and bactericidal/permeability-increasing protein (BPI).
Experiments showed the microfluidic device could maintain hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells in normal proportions for at least 2 weeks in culture.
Over time, the researchers observed increases in the number of leukocytes and red blood cells in the microfluidic circulation. And they found that adding erythropoietin induced a significant increase in erythrocyte production.
When the researchers exposed the engineered bone marrow to gamma radiation, they saw reduced leukocyte production.
And when they treated the engineered bone marrow with G-CSF or BPI, the team saw significant increases in the number of hematopoietic stem cells and myeloid cells in the fluidic outflow.
On the other hand, BPI did not have such an effect on static bone marrow cultures. But the researchers pointed out that previous work has shown BPI can accelerate recovery from radiation-induced toxicity in vivo.
The team therefore concluded that, unlike static bone marrow cultures, engineered bone marrow grown in a microfluidic device effectively mimics the recovery response of bone marrow in the body. 
Image by Daniel E. Sabath
Engineered bone marrow grown in a microfluidic chip device mimics living bone marrow, according to research published in Tissue Engineering.
Experiments showed the engineered bone marrow responded in a way similar to living bone marrow when exposed to damaging radiation followed by treatment with compounds that aid in blood cell recovery.
The researchers said this new bone marrow-on-a-chip device holds promise for testing and developing improved radiation countermeasures.
Yu-suke Torisawa, PhD, of Kyoto University in Japan, and his colleagues conducted this research.
The team used a tissue engineering approach to induce formation of new marrow-containing bone in mice. They then surgically removed the bone, placed it in a microfluidic device, and continuously perfused it with medium in vitro.
Next, the researchers set out to determine if the device would keep the engineered bone marrow alive so they could perform tests on it.
To test the system, the team analyzed the dynamics of blood cell production and evaluated the radiation-protecting effects of granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) and bactericidal/permeability-increasing protein (BPI).
Experiments showed the microfluidic device could maintain hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells in normal proportions for at least 2 weeks in culture.
Over time, the researchers observed increases in the number of leukocytes and red blood cells in the microfluidic circulation. And they found that adding erythropoietin induced a significant increase in erythrocyte production.
When the researchers exposed the engineered bone marrow to gamma radiation, they saw reduced leukocyte production.
And when they treated the engineered bone marrow with G-CSF or BPI, the team saw significant increases in the number of hematopoietic stem cells and myeloid cells in the fluidic outflow.
On the other hand, BPI did not have such an effect on static bone marrow cultures. But the researchers pointed out that previous work has shown BPI can accelerate recovery from radiation-induced toxicity in vivo.
The team therefore concluded that, unlike static bone marrow cultures, engineered bone marrow grown in a microfluidic device effectively mimics the recovery response of bone marrow in the body.
Image by Daniel E. Sabath
Engineered bone marrow grown in a microfluidic chip device mimics living bone marrow, according to research published in Tissue Engineering.
Experiments showed the engineered bone marrow responded in a way similar to living bone marrow when exposed to damaging radiation followed by treatment with compounds that aid in blood cell recovery.
The researchers said this new bone marrow-on-a-chip device holds promise for testing and developing improved radiation countermeasures.
Yu-suke Torisawa, PhD, of Kyoto University in Japan, and his colleagues conducted this research.
The team used a tissue engineering approach to induce formation of new marrow-containing bone in mice. They then surgically removed the bone, placed it in a microfluidic device, and continuously perfused it with medium in vitro.
Next, the researchers set out to determine if the device would keep the engineered bone marrow alive so they could perform tests on it.
To test the system, the team analyzed the dynamics of blood cell production and evaluated the radiation-protecting effects of granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) and bactericidal/permeability-increasing protein (BPI).
Experiments showed the microfluidic device could maintain hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells in normal proportions for at least 2 weeks in culture.
Over time, the researchers observed increases in the number of leukocytes and red blood cells in the microfluidic circulation. And they found that adding erythropoietin induced a significant increase in erythrocyte production.
When the researchers exposed the engineered bone marrow to gamma radiation, they saw reduced leukocyte production.
And when they treated the engineered bone marrow with G-CSF or BPI, the team saw significant increases in the number of hematopoietic stem cells and myeloid cells in the fluidic outflow.
On the other hand, BPI did not have such an effect on static bone marrow cultures. But the researchers pointed out that previous work has shown BPI can accelerate recovery from radiation-induced toxicity in vivo.
The team therefore concluded that, unlike static bone marrow cultures, engineered bone marrow grown in a microfluidic device effectively mimics the recovery response of bone marrow in the body.