Paper-based 3D culture device integrated with electrochemical sensor for the on-line cell viability evaluation of amyloid-beta peptide induced damage in PC12 cells

In this communication, a paper-based 3D cell culture device integrated with electrochemical biosensor was applied to on-line monitoring of dopamine release from PC12 cell damage models induced by amyloid-beta peptide (Aβ25-35) and cell intervene models protected by curcumin (Cur) and marrow mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) supernatant. The adhesion and proliferation of PC12 cells cultured on the paper scaffold was characterized by scanning electron microscopy and laser scanning confocal microscopy, which verify unique biocompatibility and 3D microarchitecture similar to human body microenvironment of paper substrate, so an artificial model simulating 3D microenvironment in vivo was constructed easily. The PC12 cells in paper-based devices consisted of four groups containing control group, Aβ25-35 group, Aβ25-35+Cur group and Aβ25-35+MSC supernatant group. Under optimal conditions, this proposed device displayed a wide linear range from 0.05 to 1 μmol/L with a detection limit of 0.009 μmol/L (S/N = 3) and exhibited high sensitivity, good selectivity and excellent reproducibility. Furtherly, electrochemcial analysis and MTT assay gave a clue that the cell viability of Aβ25-35+MSCs supernatant group was higher than that of Aβ25-35+Cur group. Therefore, the detachable paper-based 3D device paves the way to a direct detection of exocytosis DA from neuron cells for on-line cell viability evaluation of neurodegenerative disease cell damage models.