Introduction: Because of the importance to create in vitro screening tools that better mimic in vivo models, for exposure responses to drugs or toxicants, reproducible and adaptable culture platforms must evolve as approaches to replicate functions that are native to human organ systems. The Stairstep Waterfall (SsWaterfall) Fluidic Culture System is a unidirectional, multiwell, gravity-driven, cell culture system with micro-channels connecting 12 wells in each row (8-row replicates). Materials and Methods: The construct allows for the one-way flow of medium, parent and metabolite compounds, and the cellular signaling between connected culture wells while simultaneously operating as a cascading flow and discretized nonlinear dosing device. Initial cell seeding in SsWaterfall mimics traditional static plate protocols but thereafter functions with controlled flow and ramping concentration versus time exposure environments. Results: To investigate the utility of a microfluidic system for predicting drug efficacy and toxicity, we first delineate device design, fabrication, and characterization of a disposable dosing and gradient-exposure platform. We start with detailed characterizations by demarcating various features of the device, including low nonspecific binding, wettability, biocompatibility with multiple cell types, intra-well and inter-well flow, and efficient auto-mixing properties of dose compounds added into the platform. Discussion: We demonstrate the device utility using an example in sequential testing-screening drug toxicity and efficacy across wide-ranging inducible exposures, 0 → IC100, featuring real-time assessments. Conclusion: The integrated auto-gradient technology, gravity flow with stairstep pathways, offers end-users an easy and quick alternative to evaluate broad-ranging toxicity of new compound entities (e.g., pharmaceutical, environmental, agricultural, cosmetic) as opposed to traditional/arduous manual drug dilutions and/or expensive robotic technology.
Keywords: exposure gradients; in vitro; microfluidics; multiwell; organ-on-a-chip; real-time; screening; toxicity.
Copyright 2021, Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers.