A computational study of cell membrane damage and intracellular delivery in a cross-slot microchannel

Lu, Ruixin1,2; Yu, Peng3; Sui, Yi2

2024-05-22

10.1039/d4sm00047a

SOFT MATTER   影响因子和分区

1744-683X

1744-6848

["We propose a three-dimensional computational framework to simulate the flow-induced cell membrane damage and the resulting enhanced intracellular mass transport in a cross-slot microchannel. We model the cell as a liquid droplet enclosed by a viscoelastic membrane and solve the cell deformation using a well-tested immersed-boundary lattice-Boltzmann method. The cell membrane damage, which is directly related to the membrane permeability, is considered using continuum damage mechanics. The transport of the diffusive solute into the cell is solved by a lattice-Boltzmann model. After validating the computational framework against several benchmark cases, we consider a cell flowing through a cross-slot microchannel, focusing on the effects of the flow strength, channel fluid viscosity and cell membrane viscosity on the membrane damage and enhanced intracellular transport. Interestingly, we find that under a comparable pressure drop across the device, for cells with low membrane viscosity, the inertial flow regime, which can be achieved by driving a low-viscosity liquid at a high speed, often leads to much larger membrane damage, compared with the high-viscosity low-speed viscous flow regime. However, the enhancement can be significantly reduced or even reversed by an increase of the cell membrane viscosity, which limits cell deformation, particularly in the inertial flow regime. Our computational framework and simulation results may guide the design and optimisation of microfluidic devices, which use cross-slot geometry to disrupt cell membranes to enhance intracellular delivery of solutes.","The inertial effect increases the cell deformation and membrane damage in the channel cross-slot; however, the enhancement can be reversed by the cell membrane viscosity."]

SCI ; EI

英语

其他

Chinese Scholarship Council["EP/K000128/1","EP/P020194/1","EP/T022213/1"] ; QMUL - UK EPSRC[IES/R2/212075]

Chemistry ; Materials Science ; Physics ; Polymer Science

Chemistry, Physical ; Materials Science, Multidisciplinary ; Physics, Multidisciplinary ; Polymer Science

WOS:001197135900001

ROYAL SOC CHEMISTRY

Web of Science

1.Univ Shanghai Sci & Technol, Sch Mech Engn, Shanghai 200093, Peoples R China
2.Queen Mary Univ London, Sch Engn & Mat Sci, London E1 4NS, England
3.Southern Univ Sci & Technol, Dept Mech & Aerosp Engn, Shenzhen 518055, Peoples R China

Lu, Ruixin,Yu, Peng,Sui, Yi. A computational study of cell membrane damage and intracellular delivery in a cross-slot microchannel[J]. SOFT MATTER,2024,20(20).

Lu, Ruixin,Yu, Peng,&Sui, Yi.(2024).A computational study of cell membrane damage and intracellular delivery in a cross-slot microchannel.SOFT MATTER,20(20).

Lu, Ruixin,et al."A computational study of cell membrane damage and intracellular delivery in a cross-slot microchannel".SOFT MATTER 20.20(2024).