Emulating disease in a microfluidic system with a releasable interfacial film and communication between non-gel aqueous solutions

A method of emulating a disease in a subject, the method comprising:

• obtaining a system comprising:
• a microfluidic chip;
• and,
• a first channel adjacent to a second channel;
• wherein,
• the first channel contains a first aqueous cellular solution, wherein the first aqueous cellular solution is not a gel;
• the second channel contains a second aqueous cellular solution, wherein the second aqueous cellular solution is not a gel;
• and,
• a releasable, first aqueous interfacial film formed by the first aqueous cellular solution;
• the first channel and the second channel are connected to the chip and include
• a first port configured for injection of a first aqueous cellular solution into the first channel;
• a second port configured for injection of a second aqueous cellular solution into the second channel;
• and,
• a first wall with openings, the first wall shared by the first channel and the second channel, and the openings in the first wall configured to (i) form a releasable, first aqueous interfacial film across the openings of the first wall upon the injection of the first aqueous cellular solution and (ii) allow for a cellular communication to occur in the absence of a gel between the first channel and the second channel upon a release of the first interfacial film from the openings;
• injecting the first aqueous cellular solution into the first channel to introduce a first cell of the disease, the injecting forming the releasable, first aqueous interfacial film across the openings of the first wall;
• and,
• injecting the second aqueous cellular solution into the second channel to introduce a second cell of the disease;
• wherein,
• the first interfacial film releases after the injecting of the second aqueous solution;
• and,
• the first cell and the second cell communicate after the releasing of the first interfacial film to emulate the disease state.