In the proposed studies microfluidic technologies are uniquely applied in combination with blood separation principles to meet a pressing need for simplified prognostic devices to aid in assessing disease progression and monitoring treatment. The innovation in this approach is the utilization of dual separation techniques within a single microfluidic system (chip) and using a single whole blood sample to isolate blood cells and circulating endothelial cells. In blood disorders, such as sickle cell disease, these cells hold important information related to disease pathology. The separation of multiple cell types from peripheral blood on a single chip represents an advancement in microfluidic technology that has significant potential for reliable assessment of disease prognosis.
Diagnosis and monitoring of disease states is critically important to health. Engineering tools and systems, such as microfluidics, provide unparalleled opportunities for the development of simple systems that can be used by individuals to assess disease prognosis and monitor treatment. The proposed studies combine existing microfluidic and separation technologies to separate cellular components from blood and deliver a device with predictive capabilities for a very complex blood disorder. Separation and analysis of these cellular components, which are linked to disease pathology, are likely to lead to prognostically validated biomarkers and enhance strategies for assessment and treatment. Minorities are underrepresented in translational research and the proposed project addresses this gap through partnership with the Biomedical Innovation and Translation Scholars (BITS) program led by the PI. BITS is designed to provide education and mentoring to underrepresented minority graduate students and postdocs on innovation, translational research and entrepreneurship.
