Title:Compartmentalized Platforms for Neuro-Pharmacological Research
Volume: 14
Issue: 1
Author(s): Amol D. Jadhav, Li Wei and Peng Shi
Affiliation:
Keywords:
Axon guidance, compartmentalized chambers, micro/nanofluidic platforms, neuron cell culture, neuronal injury,
synaptogenesis.
Abstract: Dissociated primary neuronal cell culture remains an indispensable approach for
neurobiology research in order to investigate basic mechanisms underlying diverse neuronal
functions, drug screening and pharmacological investigation. Compartmentalization, a widely adopted
technique since its emergence in 1970s enables spatial segregation of neuronal segments and detailed
investigation that is otherwise limited with traditional culture methods. Although these compartmental
chambers (e.g. Campenot chamber) have been proven valuable for the investigation of Peripheral
Nervous System (PNS) neurons and to some extent within Central Nervous System (CNS) neurons,
their utility has remained limited given the arduous manufacturing process, incompatibility with high-resolution optical
imaging and limited throughput. The development in the area of microfabrication and microfluidics has enabled creation
of next generation compartmentalized devices that are cheap, easy to manufacture, require reduced sample volumes,
enable precise control over the cellular microenvironment both spatially as well as temporally, and permit highthroughput
testing. In this review we briefly evaluate the various compartmentalization tools used for neurobiological
research, and highlight application of the emerging microfluidic platforms towards in vitro single cell neurobiology.