Physical stimulation of mammalian cells using micro-bead impact within a microfluidic environment to enhance growth rate

Various cell stimulation experiments have been traditionally conducted regarding observation of cells to specific stimulative factors, and in light of this area of study, we report a new method by utilizing micro-beads. HeLa cells and MC3T3 cells are cultured in straight PDMS (polydimethylsiloxane) microfluidic devices and are stimulated by sterilized polystyrene micro-beads. Cell culture medium either with or without micro-beads are introduced in microfluidic cell culturing chambers at a specific time interval, and stimulated cells are observed using an inverted microscope. The results show that cells exposed under micro-bead stimulation perform at a higher growth rate than those under normal conditions. This paper demonstrates that micro-beads can be used as a physical stimulation factor and affect cell growth behaviors.