Microfluidics for the Analysis of the Adhesion and Migration of Mammalian Cells

Abstract

Adhesion and migration are the basic functions for most types of mammalian cells. Cells sense and respond to their surrounding microenvironments and change their functions. The rapid growth of microfluidic technologies has provided new methods to analyze cells by manipulating cell microenvironments. This article describes recent developments of microfluidics in cell analysis. Chemical and physical properties of surfaces and their biological effects on cell adhesion and migration, control of cell adhesion and migration by microfluidics, and the construction of organ models and tissue engineering on microfluidic chips are discussed.