Leukemia On Chip – Electrical Impedance Spectroscopy As An Online Readout To Investigate Drug-Cancer Interaction

Abstract

Based on recent advances in the field of microphysiological systems, we established a Leukemiaon-chip concept to mimic blood cancer in vitro by continuously circulating leukemia cells in a microfluidic system. This platform is complemented by an integrated electrical-impedance-spectroscopy (EIS) unit that enables to monitor the flowing cancer cells in real-time. The electric parameters, such as membrane conductivity and dielectric properties, alter upon the death of leukemia cells. Thus, drug-cancer interactions can be studied online and label-free by means of EIS. In this study, we present proof-of-concept experimental results that show the potential of EIS for real-time drug efficacy research.