Performance tests of a novel coaxial tube catheter in an in vitro model of intracranial cell delivery

Abstract

We have tested prototypes of a novel coaxial tube catheter in an in vitro gel model of cell delivery into the brain. Devices 1.6 and 2.0 mm outer diameter were used to deliver PC 12 cells (concentration = 10⁶ cells ml⁻¹) at 1 μl min⁻¹ into a 5 ml sandwich of collagen and 0.1% agarose, with and without follow-on infusions of nerve growth factor (NGF). Post-infusion microscopic imaging (40X) at the infusion sites was then carried out over 7-day periods. The results showed that under these experimental conditions, it was possible to use these catheters to deliver cells without either leakage of trapped air into the gel or reflux of the cell suspension along the catheter insertion track. Differentiation of the NGF-treated cells was observed.

Keywords:

• Neurocatheter
• PC 12 cells
• Convection-enhanced delivery
• Brain phantom gels
• Cell delivery

Acknowledgements

We thank Mr Matthew Solar of NexGen Medical Systems, Inc. for providing us with figure 2. We also thank Dr John Kucharczyk of NexGen Medical Systems, Inc. for several useful discussions. The work was funded in part by the Kopf Family Foundation, Inc. and NexGen Medical Systems, Inc. at the University of Virginia, and the Hord and Hafner Funds of the MCV Foundation at Virginia Commonwealth University.

Declaration of interest: Authors Gillies, Broaddus, Chen and Fillmore have a financial interest in the company (NexGen Medical Systems, Inc.) that is the commercial licensee for the catheter technology. Authors Gillies, Broaddus, Chen and Fillmore may receive royalties from the license agreement between their institutions and the licensee company (NexGen Medical Systems, Inc.).