New trends in non-invasive prenatal diagnosis: Applications of dielectrophoresis-based Lab-on-a-chip platforms to the identification and manipulation of rare cells (Review)

Abstract

Abstract. The isolation of rare cells, such as fetal nucleated red blood cells and trophoblasts, from maternal blood for noninvasive prenatal diagnosis is a new field of research exhibiting several difficulties since this strategy requires unresolved basic technological protocols for a successful outcome. However, several achievements in the field of Laboratory-on-a-chip (Labon-a-chip) technology have provided clear advancements in projects aimed at the isolation of rare cells from biological fluids. Among the most interesting approaches are those based on dielectrophoresis (DEP). DEP-based Lab-on-a-chip platforms have been demonstrated to be suitable for several applications in biotechnology and biomedicine. DEP-based arrays are able to manipulate single cells, which can be identified and moved throughout the DEP chip to recovery places. DEP buffers are compatible with molecular interactions between monoclonal antibodies and target cells, allowing integration of these devices with magnetic cell sorting (MACS). DEP treatment does not alter the viability of manipulated cells.

Lab‐on‐a‐chip device for continuous particle and cell separation based on electrical properties via alternating current dielectrophoresis

“…This unique dielectric signature can be utilized to discriminate and identify cells from the other particles or to detect and isolate diseased or damaged cells by means of AC electrokinetic methods. In this sense, DEP has been implemented for the separation of the cancer cells from the blood stream [12,28], the separation of the platelets from diluted whole blood [38], the separation of red blood cells and the white blood cells (WBCs) [40], the separation of viable and nonviable yeast cells [37,39], the separation of human leukocytes [29], the separation of the electroporated and nonelectroporated cells [33], the separation of bovine red blood cells of different starvation age [35,36], the isolation of the malaria-infected cells from the blood [30,31], the separation of healthy and unhealthy oocyte cells [41], the characterization and the sorting stem cells and their differentiated progeny [43], the isolation of rare cells from biological fluids [48], the separation and the detection of DNA-derivatized nanoparticles [44]. Except very few applications [21], particle and cell separation by DEP based on the electrical properties requires discrete processes (i.e.…”

Dielectrophoresis in microfluidics technology

“…This unique dielectric signature can be utilized to discriminate and identify cells from the other particles or to detect and isolate diseased or damaged cells by means of AC-DEP (DEP force spectra of different cell types can be found elsewhere [118,144]). AC-DEP has been implemented for the separation of cancer cells from blood stream [17,18], the separation of red blood cells and polystyrene particles [19], the separation of human leukocytes [20], the isolation of the malaria-infected cells from the blood [21,22], the separation of the electroporated and non-electroporated cells [23], the separation of the platelets from diluted whole blood [24], the separation of red blood cells and the white blood cells [25], the separation [26][27][28] and sorting [29] of viable and nonviable yeast cells, the separation of healthy and unhealthy oocyte cells [30], the characterization and the sorting stem cells and their differentiated progeny [31], the isolation of rare cells from biological fluids [32], the separation of three distinct bacterial clones of commonly used E. coli MC1061 strain [33], trapping of viable mammalian fibroplast cells [34], trapping of DNA molecules [35], trapping of single cancer and endothelial cells to investigate pairwise cell interactions [36], trapping of bacterial cells for the subsequent electrodisruption or electroporation [37], focusing of polystyrene particles [38], trapping of yeast cells [39], 3-D focusing of polystyrene particles and yeast cells [40], the separation of airborne bacterium, Micrococcus luteus, from a mixture with dust and polystyrene beads [41], trapping and isolation of human stem cell from heterogeneous solution [42], single-cell isolation [43], concentration and counting of polystyrene particles [44], the separation of polystyrene particles, Jurkat cells and HeLa cells …”

Characterization of particle capture in a sawtooth patterned insulating electrokinetic microfluidic device

“…As described by Pohl [1] in the 1950s, DEP utilizes non-uniform electric fields to take advantage of polarization and permeability of neutral bodies as well as the permeability of their surrounding medium to create separations. When applied to biological targets, these features allow subtle changes in biochemistry that effect cell polarizability to be exploited for separating bioanalytes, including discriminating living versus dead or various metabolic states [2][3][4]. The application of DEP extends far beyond bioseparations, ranging from simple statically charged amber to the ground breaking foundational work of Pohl which focused on the action of DEP on suspensions [5].…”