The role of microfluidics in protein formulations with pre-programmed functional characteristics

Abstract

Hu Meng,1,2,* Shuai Deng,1,2,* Yajing You,3 Hon Fai Chan1,2 1Institute for Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; 2School of Biomedical Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; 3Department of Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shandong University, Jinan, China *These authors contributed equally to this work Abstract: Protein-based therapies hold great promise for treating many diseases. Nevertheless, the challenges of producing therapies with targeted attributes via standardized processes may hinder the development of protein formulations and clinical translation of the advanced therapies. Microfluidics represents a promising technology to develop protein formulations with pre-programmed functional characteristics, including size, morphology, and controlled drug release property. In this review, we discuss some examples of adopting microfluidics for fabricating particle- and fiber/tube-based formulations and highlight the advantages of microfluidics-assisted fabrication. Keywords: protein therapy, microfluidics, biofabrication, controlled release

Keywords

• protein therapy
• microfluidics
• biofabrication
• controlled release