Microfluidic model for mild traumatic brain injury

We have developed novel device where a localised axonal stretch injury is achieved by the integration of a pressure-flexible valve in the axon compartment of a fluidically isolated neuron culture device. We found that stretch injury resulted in the formation of smaller growth cones, significantly higher number of collapsed growth cones and different cytoskeletal profile compared to the growth cones in control, uninjured cultures. These results suggest that stretch injury to a very localized region of the cortical axon is able to trigger a degenerative response that is characterized by growth cone collapse and significant abnormal cytoskeletal rearrangement.