A research group led by Dr. Yuji Goto (Project Researcher) and Dr. Keiichi Yamaguchi (Project Associate Professor) at the Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University, successfully observed the formation of amyloid fibrils in real time by combining a peristaltic pump with a fluorescence microscope.
Amyloid fibrils are formed when proteins abnormally aggregate, and when they accumulate in the body, they can impair the function of tissues and organs. For example, it is known that amyloid-beta (Aβ) accumulates in the brains of patients with Alzheimer’s disease. A group of diseases in which amyloid deposits in organs such as the heart and kidneys and causes functional impairment is called amyloidosis.
In a previous study, the research group reported that the strong shear stress generated by a peristaltic pump can trigger amyloid formation. (Goto Y, Ota T, Yuan W, et al. “Peristaltic pump-triggered amyloid formation suggests shear stresses are in vivo risks for amyloid nucleation.”npj Biosensing 2, 4, 2025.)
In this study, the group focused on AL amyloidosis, in which amyloid deposits can accumulate in the heart, and examined how shear stress generated by changes in the diameter of coronary microvessels associated with heartbeats, as well as narrow flow paths, affect amyloid formation.
The results showed that amyloid formation is promoted under conditions involving both shear stress and flow constrictions, and that the resulting fibrils subsequently deposit within the channel and progressively cause blockage.
The experimental system used to observe this phenomenon in real time employed Takasago Electric’s chip pump ACP-29.

Figure: Overview of peristaltic pump– induced amyloid formation (A) and main findings (B)
Source: Goto, Y. et al., The FEBS Journal, 2026.

Challenge and Solution

In this experiment, it was necessary to mimic—using a peristaltic pump—the conditions to which AL proteins are exposed in the heart, while simultaneously using a fluorescence microscope to observe where amyloid formation occurred in real time.
Our chip pump integrates a peristaltic mechanism into a compact PDMS chip. It enables liquid delivery while periodically compressing the channel, and the interior can be directly observed with a fluorescence microscope.
In addition, adopting the chip pump contributed to miniaturizing the experimental setup and reducing the experimental time required for each cycle.

Chip pump ACP-29 used in the experiment

In addition to observing amyloid formation within the pump, the researchers also used a lattice-shaped microfluidic channel that mimics a microvascular network to observe how the resulting fibrils deposit in the channel and lead to blockage.

These results were published on August 25, 2026, in the international scientific journal The FEBS Journal.
(Goto Y, Yamaguchi K, Nakajima K, et al. “Constrictions and shear stress are key determinants of amyloidogenic light chain (AL) amyloidosis.” The FEBS Journal, 2026.)

This study also suggested that blockage of microchannels by amyloid fibrils may lead to ischemia and tissue damage. This represents a new perspective different from the cytotoxicity that has traditionally received attention.

The findings are expected to deepen our understanding of the mechanisms underlying amyloid formation and contribute to future risk assessment and the development of prevention and treatment strategies.

Takasago Electric will continue to support researchers and engineers in realizing the flow conditions and device configurations they require through our fluid control technologies.

* Chip Pump ACP-29 / QCP-29
This pump integrates the liquid-delivery mechanism of a peristaltic pump into a compact PDMS chip. It is suitable for space-saving experimental systems and for integration into microfluidic systems.