Abstract

Cell-based Assay in Cotton Fabrics Hierarchical Structure

Dedy Wicaksono, Senior Lecturer, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia

While body fluids samples are commonly used for medical diagnostic, several diseases require tissue biopsy or cell analysis for confirming their occurrences. Normally, the sampled tissues and cells are taken to a special laboratory for further processing before being observed by trained pathologist to determine the disease based on their morphology. We propose the use of cotton fabric as a low-cost, easy-to-use, disposable and environmentally-friendly platform for carrying out static cell culture and dynamic cell sorting, at point-of-care clinics. Cotton fabric has a unique structure that hierarchically spans from sub-µm to mm or cm scale. In static cell culture, several fabric layers are stacked and held together with various wax formulations. Holes with varying diameters are made in these layers to form conical-well-like structure in whose flat base, cells can be cultured. Staining can be carried out and observation can be made in a simple microscope to discriminate diseased cells from healthy ones. In the dynamic cell sorting, cells are let wicked in hydrophilic channels made by hydrophobic wax barrier patterning in the fabric. Larger cells will adhere to and be captured by the fibers surface, while smaller ones will wick along the hierarchically-structured channel.