Development of a Microfluidics Platform for Efficient MUSE Cell Isolation for Personalized Cell Therapeutics and Disease Modeling

Patient-specific disease modeling is crucial in biomedical research due to high failure rates in drug discovery and clinical trials. This proposal aims to enhance disease modeling by developing a scalable platform using MUSE cells, an efficient alternative to iPSCs. Discovered by Mari Dezawa in 2010, MUSE cells offer advantages over iPSCs, including no need for genetic reprogramming, reducing cost and time. They can differentiate into endodermal, ectodermal, and mesodermal lineages, making them ideal for in vitro disease modeling. Phase one focuses on optimizing MUSE cell isolation from peripheral blood using a microfluidic-based technique. This device will selectively capture MUSE cells, enhancing purity and viability through size-based separation and immunocytochemical confirmation. Phase two will compare MUSE cells with iPSCs in differentiation efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and scalability. This evaluation will determine their suitability for patient-specific disease modeling, therapeutic screening, and drug development. The long-term goal is to provide the biopharmaceutical industry with a scalable, cost-effective disease modeling platform, accelerating drug development through personalized therapeutic testing. This project aims to revolutionize disease modeling by offering a faster, more efficient alternative to traditional iPSC-based approaches.

Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU)