1
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Zhao Y, Wu Y, Islam K, Paul R, Zhou Y, Qin X, Li Q, Liu Y. Microphysiologically Engineered Vessel-Tumor Model to Investigate Vascular Transport Dynamics of Immune Cells. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2024; 16. [PMID: 38652824 PMCID: PMC11082852 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.4c00391] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2024] [Revised: 04/01/2024] [Accepted: 04/09/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024]
Abstract
Cancer immunotherapy has emerged as a promising therapeutic strategy to combat cancer effectively. However, it is hard to observe and quantify how this in vivo process happens. Three-dimensional (3D) microfluidic vessel-tumor models offer valuable capability to study how immune cells transport during cancer progression. We presented an advanced 3D vessel-supported tumor model consisting of the endothelial lumen and vessel network for the study of T cells' transportation. The process of T cell transport through the vessel network and interaction with tumor spheroids was represented and monitored in vitro. Specifically, we demonstrate that the endothelial glycocalyx serving in the T cells' transport can influence the endothelium-immune interaction. Furthermore, after vascular transport, how programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) immune checkpoint inhibition influences the delivered activated-T cells on tumor killing was evaluated. Our in vitro vessel-tumor model provides a microphysiologically engineered platform to represent T cell vascular transportation during tumor immunotherapy. The reported innovative vessel-tumor platform is believed to have the potential to explore the tumor-induced immune response mechanism and preclinically evaluate immunotherapy's effectiveness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuwen Zhao
- Department
of Bioengineering, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania 18015, United States
| | - Yue Wu
- Department
of Bioengineering, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania 18015, United States
| | - Khayrul Islam
- Department
of Mechanical Engineering and Mechanics, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania 18015, United States
| | - Ratul Paul
- Department
of Mechanical Engineering and Mechanics, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania 18015, United States
| | - Yuyuan Zhou
- Department
of Bioengineering, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania 18015, United States
| | - Xiaochen Qin
- Department
of Bioengineering, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania 18015, United States
| | - Qiying Li
- Department
of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania 18015, United States
| | - Yaling Liu
- Department
of Bioengineering, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania 18015, United States
- Department
of Mechanical Engineering and Mechanics, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania 18015, United States
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2
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Luah YH, Wu T, Cheow LF. Identification, sorting and profiling of functional killer cells via the capture of fluorescent target-cell lysate. Nat Biomed Eng 2024; 8:248-262. [PMID: 37652987 DOI: 10.1038/s41551-023-01089-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2022] [Accepted: 08/04/2023] [Indexed: 09/02/2023]
Abstract
Assays for assessing cell-mediated cytotoxicity are largely target-cell-centric and cannot identify and isolate subpopulations of cytotoxic effector cells. Here we describe an assay compatible with flow cytometry for the accurate identification and sorting of functional killer-cell subpopulations in co-cultures. The assay, which we named PAINTKiller (for 'proximity affinity intracellular transfer identification of killer cells'), relies on the detection of an intracellular fluorescent protein 'painted' by a lysed cell on the surface of the lysing cytotoxic cell (specifically, on cell lysis the intracellular fluorescein derivative carboxyfluorescein succinimidyl ester is captured on the surface of the natural killer cell by an antibody for anti-fluorescein isothiocyanate linked to an antibody for the pan-leucocyte surface receptor CD45). The assay can be integrated with single-cell RNA sequencing for the analysis of molecular pathways associated with cell cytotoxicity and may be used to uncover correlates of functional immune responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yen Hoon Luah
- Institute for Health Innovation and Technology, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
- Critical Analytics for Manufacturing of Personalized-Medicine Interdisciplinary Research Group, Singapore-MIT Alliance in Research and Technology, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Tongjin Wu
- Institute for Health Innovation and Technology, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Design and Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Lih Feng Cheow
- Institute for Health Innovation and Technology, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.
- Critical Analytics for Manufacturing of Personalized-Medicine Interdisciplinary Research Group, Singapore-MIT Alliance in Research and Technology, Singapore, Singapore.
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Design and Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.
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3
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Zhong R, Sullivan M, Upreti N, Chen R, De Ganzó A, Yang K, Yang S, Jin K, He Y, Li K, Xia J, Ma Z, Lee LP, Konry T, Huang TJ. Cellular immunity analysis by a modular acoustofluidic platform: CIAMAP. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eadj9964. [PMID: 38134285 PMCID: PMC10745697 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adj9964] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2023] [Accepted: 11/22/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023]
Abstract
The study of molecular mechanisms at the single-cell level holds immense potential for enhancing immunotherapy and understanding neuroinflammation and neurodegenerative diseases by identifying previously concealed pathways within a diverse range of paired cells. However, existing single-cell pairing platforms have limitations in low pairing efficiency, complex manual operation procedures, and single-use functionality. Here, we report a multiparametric cellular immunity analysis by a modular acoustofluidic platform: CIAMAP. This platform enables users to efficiently sort and collect effector-target (i.e., NK92-K562) cell pairs and monitor the real-time dynamics of immunological response formation. Furthermore, we conducted transcriptional and protein expression analyses to evaluate the pathways that mediate effector cytotoxicity toward target cells, as well as the synergistic effect of doxorubicin on the cellular immune response. Our CIAMAP can provide promising building blocks for high-throughput quantitative single-cell level coculture to understand intercellular communication while also empowering immunotherapy by precision analysis of immunological synapses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruoyu Zhong
- Thomas Lord Department of Mechanical Engineering & Materials Science, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Matthew Sullivan
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Bouvé College of Health Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Neil Upreti
- Biomedical Engineering Department, Pratt School of Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Roy Chen
- Biomedical Engineering Department, Pratt School of Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Agustin De Ganzó
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Bouvé College of Health Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Kaichun Yang
- Thomas Lord Department of Mechanical Engineering & Materials Science, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Shujie Yang
- Thomas Lord Department of Mechanical Engineering & Materials Science, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
- Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Ke Jin
- Thomas Lord Department of Mechanical Engineering & Materials Science, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Ye He
- Thomas Lord Department of Mechanical Engineering & Materials Science, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Ke Li
- Thomas Lord Department of Mechanical Engineering & Materials Science, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Jianping Xia
- Thomas Lord Department of Mechanical Engineering & Materials Science, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Zhiteng Ma
- Thomas Lord Department of Mechanical Engineering & Materials Science, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Luke P. Lee
- Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
- Institute of Quantum Biophysics, Department of Biophysics, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 16419, Republic of Korea
- Department of Chemistry and Nano Science, Ewha Womans University, Seoul 03760, Republic of Korea
| | - Tania Konry
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Bouvé College of Health Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Tony Jun Huang
- Thomas Lord Department of Mechanical Engineering & Materials Science, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
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4
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Zhu L, Tang Q, Mao Z, Chen H, Wu L, Qin Y. Microfluidic-based platforms for cell-to-cell communication studies. Biofabrication 2023; 16:012005. [PMID: 38035370 DOI: 10.1088/1758-5090/ad1116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2023] [Accepted: 11/30/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023]
Abstract
Intercellular communication is critical to the understanding of human health and disease progression. However, compared to traditional methods with inefficient analysis, microfluidic co-culture technologies developed for cell-cell communication research can reliably analyze crucial biological processes, such as cell signaling, and monitor dynamic intercellular interactions under reproducible physiological cell co-culture conditions. Moreover, microfluidic-based technologies can achieve precise spatial control of two cell types at the single-cell level with high throughput. Herein, this review focuses on recent advances in microfluidic-based 2D and 3D devices developed to confine two or more heterogeneous cells in the study of intercellular communication and decipher the advantages and limitations of these models in specific cellular research scenarios. This review will stimulate the development of more functionalized microfluidic platforms for biomedical research, inspiring broader interests across various disciplines to better comprehend cell-cell communication and other fields, such as tumor heterogeneity and drug screening.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lvyang Zhu
- Nantong Key Laboratory of Public Health and Medical Analysis, School of Public Health, Nantong University, No. 9, Seyuan Road, Nantong 226019, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China
| | - Qu Tang
- Nantong Key Laboratory of Public Health and Medical Analysis, School of Public Health, Nantong University, No. 9, Seyuan Road, Nantong 226019, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhenzhen Mao
- Nantong Key Laboratory of Public Health and Medical Analysis, School of Public Health, Nantong University, No. 9, Seyuan Road, Nantong 226019, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China
| | - Huanhuan Chen
- Nantong Key Laboratory of Public Health and Medical Analysis, School of Public Health, Nantong University, No. 9, Seyuan Road, Nantong 226019, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China
| | - Li Wu
- Nantong Key Laboratory of Public Health and Medical Analysis, School of Public Health, Nantong University, No. 9, Seyuan Road, Nantong 226019, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China
| | - Yuling Qin
- Nantong Key Laboratory of Public Health and Medical Analysis, School of Public Health, Nantong University, No. 9, Seyuan Road, Nantong 226019, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China
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5
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Lipp C, Koebel L, Loyon R, Bolopion A, Spehner L, Gauthier M, Borg C, Bertsch A, Renaud P. Microfluidic device combining hydrodynamic and dielectrophoretic trapping for the controlled contact between single micro-sized objects and application to adhesion assays. LAB ON A CHIP 2023; 23:3593-3602. [PMID: 37458004 PMCID: PMC10408363 DOI: 10.1039/d3lc00400g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2023] [Accepted: 06/27/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
The understanding of cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions via receptor and ligand binding relies on our ability to study the very first events of their contact. Of particular interest is the interaction between a T cell receptor and its cognate peptide-major histocompatibility complex. Indeed, analyzing their binding kinetics and cellular avidity in large-scale low-cost and fast cell sorting would largely facilitate the access to cell-based cancer immunotherapies. We thus propose a microfluidic tool able to independently control two types of micro-sized objects, put them in contact for a defined time and probe their adhesion state. The device consists of hydrodynamic traps holding the first type of cell from below against the fluid flow, and a dielectrophoretic system to force the second type of object to remain in contact with the first one. First, the device is validated by performing an adhesion frequency assay between fibroblasts and fibronectin coated beads. Then, a study is conducted on the modification of the cellular environment to match the dielectrophoretic technology requirements without modifying the cell viability and interaction functionalities. Finally, we demonstrate the capability of the developed device to put cancer cells and a population of T cells in contact and show the discrimination between specific and non-specific interactions based on the pair lifetime. This proof-of-concept device lays the foundations for the development of next generation fast cell-cell interaction technologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clémentine Lipp
- Laboratory of Microsystems LMIS4, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland.
| | - Laure Koebel
- Institut FEMTO-ST, Département AS2M, Univ. Bourgogne Franche-Comté, CNRS, Besançon, France
| | - Romain Loyon
- Unité RIGHT, UMR INSERM 1098, Établissement Français du Sang Bourgogne Franche-Comté, Besançon, France
| | - Aude Bolopion
- Institut FEMTO-ST, Département AS2M, Univ. Bourgogne Franche-Comté, CNRS, Besançon, France
| | - Laurie Spehner
- Unité RIGHT, UMR INSERM 1098, Établissement Français du Sang Bourgogne Franche-Comté, Besançon, France
| | - Michaël Gauthier
- Institut FEMTO-ST, Département AS2M, Univ. Bourgogne Franche-Comté, CNRS, Besançon, France
| | - Christophe Borg
- Unité RIGHT, UMR INSERM 1098, Établissement Français du Sang Bourgogne Franche-Comté, Besançon, France
| | - Arnaud Bertsch
- Laboratory of Microsystems LMIS4, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland.
| | - Philippe Renaud
- Laboratory of Microsystems LMIS4, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland.
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6
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Lockery SR, Pop S, Jussila B. Microinjection in C. elegans by direct penetration of elastomeric membranes. BIOMICROFLUIDICS 2023; 17:014103. [PMID: 36647539 PMCID: PMC9840533 DOI: 10.1063/5.0130806] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2022] [Accepted: 12/21/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
The nematode worm C. elegans is widely used in basic and translational research. The creation of transgenic strains by injecting DNA constructs into the worm's gonad is an essential step in many C. elegans research projects. This paper describes the fabrication and use of a minimalist microfluidic chip for performing microinjections. The worm is immobilized in a tight-fitting microchannel, one sidewall of which is a thin elastomeric membrane through which the injection pipet penetrates to reach the worm. The pipet is neither broken nor clogged by passing through the membrane, and the membrane reseals when the pipet is withdrawn. Rates of survival and transgenesis are similar to those in the conventional method. Novice users found injections using the device easier to learn than the conventional method. The principle of direct penetration of elastomeric membranes is adaptable to microinjections in a wide range of organisms including cells, embryos, and other small animal models. It could, therefore, lead to a new generation of microinjection systems for basic, translational, and industrial applications.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Stelian Pop
- InVivo Biosystems, Inc., Eugene, Oregon 97402, USA
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7
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Li B, Ma X, Cheng J, Tian T, Guo J, Wang Y, Pang L. Droplets microfluidics platform-A tool for single cell research. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2023; 11:1121870. [PMID: 37152651 PMCID: PMC10154550 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2023.1121870] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2022] [Accepted: 04/03/2023] [Indexed: 05/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Cells are the most basic structural and functional units of living organisms. Studies of cell growth, differentiation, apoptosis, and cell-cell interactions can help scientists understand the mysteries of living systems. However, there is considerable heterogeneity among cells. Great differences between individuals can be found even within the same cell cluster. Cell heterogeneity can only be clearly expressed and distinguished at the level of single cells. The development of droplet microfluidics technology opens up a new chapter for single-cell analysis. Microfluidic chips can produce many nanoscale monodisperse droplets, which can be used as small isolated micro-laboratories for various high-throughput, precise single-cell analyses. Moreover, gel droplets with good biocompatibility can be used in single-cell cultures and coupled with biomolecules for various downstream analyses of cellular metabolites. The droplets are also maneuverable; through physical and chemical forces, droplets can be divided, fused, and sorted to realize single-cell screening and other related studies. This review describes the channel design, droplet generation, and control technology of droplet microfluidics and gives a detailed overview of the application of droplet microfluidics in single-cell culture, single-cell screening, single-cell detection, and other aspects. Moreover, we provide a recent review of the application of droplet microfluidics in tumor single-cell immunoassays, describe in detail the advantages of microfluidics in tumor research, and predict the development of droplet microfluidics at the single-cell level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bixuan Li
- Xi’an Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Microorganism and Tumor Immunity, Xi’an, China
- School of Basic Medicine, Xi’an Medical University, Xi’an, China
| | - Xi Ma
- Xi’an Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Microorganism and Tumor Immunity, Xi’an, China
- School of Basic Medicine, Xi’an Medical University, Xi’an, China
| | - Jianghong Cheng
- Xi’an Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Microorganism and Tumor Immunity, Xi’an, China
- School of Basic Medicine, Xi’an Medical University, Xi’an, China
| | - Tian Tian
- Xi’an Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Microorganism and Tumor Immunity, Xi’an, China
- School of Basic Medicine, Xi’an Medical University, Xi’an, China
| | - Jiao Guo
- Xi’an Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Microorganism and Tumor Immunity, Xi’an, China
- School of Basic Medicine, Xi’an Medical University, Xi’an, China
| | - Yang Wang
- Xi’an Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Microorganism and Tumor Immunity, Xi’an, China
- School of Basic Medicine, Xi’an Medical University, Xi’an, China
- *Correspondence: Yang Wang,
| | - Long Pang
- Xi’an Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Microorganism and Tumor Immunity, Xi’an, China
- School of Basic Medicine, Xi’an Medical University, Xi’an, China
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8
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Tang X, Huang Q, Arai T, Liu X. Cell pairing for biological analysis in microfluidic devices. BIOMICROFLUIDICS 2022; 16:061501. [PMID: 36389274 PMCID: PMC9646252 DOI: 10.1063/5.0095828] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2022] [Accepted: 10/10/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Cell pairing at the single-cell level usually allows a few cells to contact or seal in a single chamber and provides high-resolution imaging. It is pivotal for biological research, including understanding basic cell functions, creating cancer treatment technologies, developing drugs, and more. Laboratory chips based on microfluidics have been widely used to trap, immobilize, and analyze cells due to their high efficiency, high throughput, and good biocompatibility properties. Cell pairing technology in microfluidic devices provides spatiotemporal research on cellular interactions and a highly controlled approach for cell heterogeneity studies. In the last few decades, many researchers have emphasized cell pairing research based on microfluidics. They designed various microfluidic device structures for different biological applications. Herein, we describe the current physical methods of microfluidic devices to trap cell pairs. We emphatically summarize the practical applications of cell pairing in microfluidic devices, including cell fusion, cell immunity, gap junction intercellular communication, cell co-culture, and other applications. Finally, we review the advances and existing challenges of the presented devices and then discuss the possible development directions to promote medical and biological research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoqing Tang
- Key Laboratory of Biomimetic Robots and Systems, Ministry of Education, State Key Laboratory of Intelligent Control and Decision of Complex System, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Intelligent Robots and Systems, and School of Mechatronical Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Qiang Huang
- Key Laboratory of Biomimetic Robots and Systems, Ministry of Education, State Key Laboratory of Intelligent Control and Decision of Complex System, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Intelligent Robots and Systems, and School of Mechatronical Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Tatsuo Arai
- Key Laboratory of Biomimetic Robots and Systems, Ministry of Education, State Key Laboratory of Intelligent Control and Decision of Complex System, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Intelligent Robots and Systems, and School of Mechatronical Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Xiaoming Liu
- Key Laboratory of Biomimetic Robots and Systems, Ministry of Education, State Key Laboratory of Intelligent Control and Decision of Complex System, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Intelligent Robots and Systems, and School of Mechatronical Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China
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9
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Kosaka T, Yamaguchi S, Izuta S, Yamahira S, Shibasaki Y, Tateno H, Okamoto A. Bioorthogonal Photoreactive Surfaces for Single-Cell Analysis of Intercellular Communications. J Am Chem Soc 2022; 144:17980-17988. [PMID: 36126284 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.2c07321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Methods to construct single-cell pairs of heterogeneous cells attract attention because of their potential in cell biological and medical applications for analyzing individual intercellular communications such as immune and nerve synaptic interactions. Photoactivatable substrate surfaces for cell anchoring are promising tools to achieve single-cell pairing. However, conventional surfaces that photoactivate a single type of cell anchoring moiety restrict the combination of cell pair types and their applications. We developed a photoresponsive material comprising a bioorthogonal photoreactive moiety and non-cell adhesive hydrophilic polymer. The material-coated surface allows conjugation with various cell anchoring molecules in response to light at specific timings and consequently achieves light-induced anchoring of a variety of cells at defined regions. Using the platform surface, an array of cancer cell and natural-killer (NK) cell pairs was constructed on a flat substrate surface and the dynamic morphological changes of the cancer cells were monitored by cytotoxic interaction with NK cells at a single-cell level. The photoreactive surface is a useful tool for image-based investigation of the communications between a variety of cell types.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takahiro Kosaka
- Department of Chemistry & Biotechnology, Graduate School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan
| | - Satoshi Yamaguchi
- Department of Chemistry & Biotechnology, Graduate School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan.,PRESTO, Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), 7, Gobancho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 102-0076, Japan
| | - Shin Izuta
- Department of Chemistry & Biotechnology, Graduate School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan
| | - Shinya Yamahira
- Center for Medical Sciences, St. Luke's International University, 9-1 Akashi-cho, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-8560, Japan
| | - Yoshikazu Shibasaki
- Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology (RCAST), The University of Tokyo, 4-6-1 Komaba, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 153-8904, Japan
| | - Hiroaki Tateno
- Cellular and Molecular Biotechnology Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), 1-1-1 Higashi, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8566, Japan
| | - Akimitsu Okamoto
- Department of Chemistry & Biotechnology, Graduate School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan
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10
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Zielke C, Gutierrez Ramirez AJ, Voss K, Ryan MS, Gholizadeh A, Rathmell JC, Abbyad P. Droplet Microfluidic Technology for the Early and Label-Free Isolation of Highly-Glycolytic, Activated T-Cells. MICROMACHINES 2022; 13:1442. [PMID: 36144067 PMCID: PMC9503730 DOI: 10.3390/mi13091442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2022] [Revised: 08/24/2022] [Accepted: 08/25/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
A label-free, fixation-free and passive sorting method is presented to isolate activated T-cells shortly after activation and prior to the display of activation surface markers. It uses a recently developed sorting platform dubbed "Sorting by Interfacial Tension" (SIFT) that sorts droplets based on pH. After polyclonal (anti-CD3/CD28 bead) activation and a brief incubation on chip, droplets containing activated T-cells display a lower pH than those containing naive cells due to increased glycolysis. Under specific surfactant conditions, a change in pH can lead to a concurrent increase in droplet interfacial tension. The isolation of activated T-cells on chip is hence achieved as flattened droplets are displaced as they encounter a micro-fabricated trench oriented diagonally with respect to the direction of flow. This technique leads to an enrichment of activated primary CD4+ T-cells to over 95% from an initial mixed population of naive cells and cells activated for as little as 15 min. Moreover, since the pH change is correlated to successful activation, the technique allows the isolation of T-cells with the earliest activation and highest glycolysis, an important feature for the testing of T-cell activation modulators and to determine regulators and predictors of differentiation outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Zielke
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Santa Clara University, Santa Clara, CA 95053, USA
| | | | - Kelsey Voss
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Maya S. Ryan
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Santa Clara University, Santa Clara, CA 95053, USA
| | - Azam Gholizadeh
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Santa Clara University, Santa Clara, CA 95053, USA
| | - Jeffrey C. Rathmell
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
- Vanderbilt Center for Immunobiology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Paul Abbyad
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Santa Clara University, Santa Clara, CA 95053, USA
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11
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Yamaguchi S, Ikeda R, Umeda Y, Kosaka T, Yamahira S, Okamoto A. Chemoenzymatic labeling to visualize intercellular contacts using lipidated sortase A. Chembiochem 2022; 23:e202200474. [PMID: 35976800 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.202200474] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Methods to label intercellular contact have attracted attention because of their potential in cell biological and medical applications for the analysis of intercellular communications. In this study, a simple and versatile method for chemoenzymatic labeling of intercellularly contacting cells is demonstrated using a cell-surface anchoring reagent of a poly(ethylene glycol)(PEG)-lipid conjugate. The surfaces of each cell in the cell pairs of interest were decorated with sortase A (SrtA) and triglycine peptide that were lipidated with PEG-lipid. In the mixture of the two cell populations, the triglycine-modified cells were enzymatically labeled with a fluorescent labeling reagent when in contact with SrtA-modified cells on a substrate. The selective labeling of the contacting cells was confirmed by confocal microscopy. The method is a promising tool for selective visualization of intercellularly contacting cells in cell mixtures for cell-cell communication analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Satoshi Yamaguchi
- The University of Tokyo: Tokyo Daigaku, Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, 4-6-1 Komaba, Meguro-ku, 153-8904, Tokyo, JAPAN
| | - Ryosuke Ikeda
- The University of Tokyo: Tokyo Daigaku, Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, JAPAN
| | - Yuki Umeda
- The University of Tokyo: Tokyo Daigaku, Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, JAPAN
| | - Takahiro Kosaka
- The University of Tokyo: Tokyo Daigaku, Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, JAPAN
| | - Shinya Yamahira
- St Luke's International University: Sei Roka Kokusai Daigaku, Center for Medical Sciences, JAPAN
| | - Akimitsu Okamoto
- The University of Tokyo: Tokyo Daigaku, Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, JAPAN
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12
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Yamahira S, Misawa R, Kosaka T, Tan M, Izuta S, Yamashita H, Heike Y, Okamoto A, Nagamune T, Yamaguchi S. Photoactivatable Materials for Versatile Single-Cell Patterning Based on the Photocaging of Cell-Anchoring Moieties through Lipid Self-Assembly. J Am Chem Soc 2022; 144:13154-13162. [PMID: 35767880 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.2c02949] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Versatile methods for patterning multiple types of cells with single-cell resolution have become an increasingly important technology for cell analysis, cell-based device construction, and tissue engineering. Here, we present a photoactivatable material based on poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)-lipids for patterning a variety of cells, regardless of their adhesion abilities. In this study, PEG-lipids bearing dual fatty acid chains were first shown to perfectly suppress cell anchoring on their coated substrate surfaces whereas those with single-chain lipids stably anchored cells through lipid-cell membrane interactions. From this finding, a PEG-lipid with one each of both normal and photocleavable fatty acid chains was synthesized as a material that could convert the chain number from two to one by exposure to light. On the photoconvertible PEG-lipid surface, cell anchoring was activated by light exposure. High-speed atomic force microscopy measurements revealed that this photocaging of the lipid-cell membrane interaction occurs because the hydrophobic dual chains self-assemble into nanoscale structures and cooperatively inhibit the anchoring. Light-induced dissociation of the lipid assembly achieved the light-guided fine patterning of multiple cells through local photoactivation of the anchoring interactions. Using this surface, human natural killer cells and leukemia cells could be positioned to interact one-by-one. The cytotoxic capacity of single immune cells was then monitored via microscopy, showing the proof-of-principle for applications in the high-throughput analysis of the heterogeneity in individual cell-cell communications. Thus, the substrate coated with our photoactivatable material can serve as a versatile platform for the accurate and rapid patterning of multiple-element cells for intercellular communication-based diagnostics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shinya Yamahira
- Department of Chemistry & Biotechnology, Graduate School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan.,Center for Medical Sciences, St Luke's International University, 9-1 Akashi-Cho, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-8560, Japan
| | - Ryuji Misawa
- Department of Chemistry & Biotechnology, Graduate School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan
| | - Takahiro Kosaka
- Department of Chemistry & Biotechnology, Graduate School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan
| | - Mondong Tan
- Department of Chemistry & Biotechnology, Graduate School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan
| | - Shin Izuta
- Department of Chemistry & Biotechnology, Graduate School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan
| | - Hayato Yamashita
- PRESTO, Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), 4-1-8 Hon-cho, Kawaguchi, Saitama 351-0198, Japan.,Graduate School of Engineering Science, Osaka University, 1-3 Machikaneyama, Toyonaka, Osaka 560-8531, Japan
| | - Yuji Heike
- Center for Medical Sciences, St Luke's International University, 9-1 Akashi-Cho, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-8560, Japan.,Graduate School of Public Health and Hospital, St Luke's International University, 9-1, Akashi-Cho, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-8560, Japan
| | - Akimitsu Okamoto
- Department of Chemistry & Biotechnology, Graduate School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan.,Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology (RCAST), The University of Tokyo, 4-6-1 Komaba, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 153-8904, Japan
| | - Teruyuki Nagamune
- Department of Chemistry & Biotechnology, Graduate School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan
| | - Satoshi Yamaguchi
- Department of Chemistry & Biotechnology, Graduate School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan.,Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology (RCAST), The University of Tokyo, 4-6-1 Komaba, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 153-8904, Japan.,PRESTO, Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), 4-1-8 Hon-cho, Kawaguchi, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
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13
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Anggraini D, Ota N, Shen Y, Tang T, Tanaka Y, Hosokawa Y, Li M, Yalikun Y. Recent advances in microfluidic devices for single-cell cultivation: methods and applications. LAB ON A CHIP 2022; 22:1438-1468. [PMID: 35274649 DOI: 10.1039/d1lc01030a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Single-cell analysis is essential to improve our understanding of cell functionality from cellular and subcellular aspects for diagnosis and therapy. Single-cell cultivation is one of the most important processes in single-cell analysis, which allows the monitoring of actual information of individual cells and provides sufficient single-cell clones and cell-derived products for further analysis. The microfluidic device is a fast-rising system that offers efficient, effective, and sensitive single-cell cultivation and real-time single-cell analysis conducted either on-chip or off-chip. Here, we introduce the importance of single-cell cultivation from the aspects of cellular and subcellular studies. We highlight the materials and structures utilized in microfluidic devices for single-cell cultivation. We further discuss biological applications utilizing single-cell cultivation-based microfluidics, such as cellular phenotyping, cell-cell interactions, and omics profiling. Finally, present limitations and future prospects of microfluidics for single-cell cultivation are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dian Anggraini
- Division of Materials Science, Nara Institute of Science and Technology, Nara 630-0192, Japan.
| | - Nobutoshi Ota
- Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research (BDR), RIKEN, 1-3 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Yigang Shen
- Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research (BDR), RIKEN, 1-3 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
| | - Tao Tang
- Division of Materials Science, Nara Institute of Science and Technology, Nara 630-0192, Japan.
| | - Yo Tanaka
- Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research (BDR), RIKEN, 1-3 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Yoichiroh Hosokawa
- Division of Materials Science, Nara Institute of Science and Technology, Nara 630-0192, Japan.
| | - Ming Li
- School of Engineering, Macquarie University, Sydney 2122, Australia.
| | - Yaxiaer Yalikun
- Division of Materials Science, Nara Institute of Science and Technology, Nara 630-0192, Japan.
- Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research (BDR), RIKEN, 1-3 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
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14
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Hata M, Suzuki M, Yasukawa T. Selective retrieval of antibody-secreting hybridomas in cell arrays based on the dielectrophoresis. Biosens Bioelectron 2022; 209:114250. [PMID: 35395585 DOI: 10.1016/j.bios.2022.114250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2021] [Revised: 03/30/2022] [Accepted: 04/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
A cascade of the formation of cell arrays, the discrimination of cells secreting specific molecules, and the selective retrieval of cells has been developed to harvest antibody-secreting hybridomas in heterogeneous cell populations simply and rapidly. The microwell array device consisted of three-dimensional microband electrodes by assembling both upper and lower substrates perpendicularly. Arrays of hybridomas secreting specific antibodies were prepared by aligning hybridomas in each microwell based on the attractive force of positive dielectrophoresis (p-DEP). Antibody secreted by the hybridomas in the microwells was recognized by the antigen immobilized on the microwells or the membrane surfaces of hybridomas to discriminate hybridomas with the secretion ability. Thereafter, a repulsive force of negative dielectrophoresis (n-DEP) was applied to release the target hybridomas from the microwell array. To harvest the target hybridoma, AC signals could be modulated in the n-DEP frequency region and applied to a pair of microband electrodes located above and below each microwell containing target hybridoma. Thus, the cell-based array system described in this study allowed selective retrieval of single target hybridomas by merely switching from p-DEP to n-DEP after selecting the antibody-secreting hybridomas trapped in each microwell. The development of this high-affinity device could be useful to recover hybridomas producing antibodies in large populations of cells rapidly and effectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Misaki Hata
- Graduate School of Science, University of Hyogo, 3-2-1, Kouto, Kamigori, Ako, Hyogo, 678-1297, Japan
| | - Masato Suzuki
- Graduate School of Science, University of Hyogo, 3-2-1, Kouto, Kamigori, Ako, Hyogo, 678-1297, Japan
| | - Tomoyuki Yasukawa
- Graduate School of Science, University of Hyogo, 3-2-1, Kouto, Kamigori, Ako, Hyogo, 678-1297, Japan.
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15
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Wong KU, Shi J, Li P, Wang H, Jia Y, Deng C, Jang L, Wong AHH. Assessment of chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR-T) cytotoxicity by droplet microfluidics in vitro. Antib Ther 2022; 5:85-99. [PMID: 35441124 PMCID: PMC9014740 DOI: 10.1093/abt/tbac008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2022] [Revised: 03/08/2022] [Accepted: 03/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR-T) cells are cytotoxic T cells engineered to specifically kill cancer cells expressing specific target receptor(s). Prior CAR-T efficacy tests include CAR expression analysis by qPCR or ELISA, in vitro measurement of interferon-γ (IFNγ) or interleukin-2 (IL-2), and xenograft models. However, the in vitro measurements did not reflect CAR-T cytotoxicity, whereas xenograft models are low throughput and costly. Here, we presented a robust in vitro droplet microfluidic assay for CAR-T cytotoxicity assessment. This method not only enabled assessment of CAR-T cytotoxic activity under different fluid viscosity conditions, but also facilitated measurement of CAR-T expansion and dissection of mechanism of action via phenotype analysis in vitro. Furthermore, our data suggested that label-free cytotoxicity analysis is feasible by acquiring data before and after treatment. Hence, this study presented a novel in vitro method for assessment of cellular cytotoxicity that could potentially be applied to any cytotoxicity experiment with varying solvent composition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kuan Un Wong
- Cancer Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macau S.A.R., China
| | - Jingxuan Shi
- Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology, South China Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510530, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, South China Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510530, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shijingshan District, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Peng Li
- Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology, South China Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510530, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, South China Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510530, China
- Guangzhou Regenerative Medicine and Health Guangdong Laboratory, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510005, China
| | - Haitao Wang
- Cancer Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macau S.A.R., China
| | - Yanwei Jia
- Cancer Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macau S.A.R., China
- State Key Laboratory of Analog and Mixed Signal VLSI, University of Macau, Macau S.A.R., China
- Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Macau, Macau S.A.R., China
| | - Chuxia Deng
- Cancer Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macau S.A.R., China
| | - Lianmei Jang
- ARC Excellence Centre for Nanoscale BioPhotonics (CNBP), Department of Molecular Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia
| | - Ada Hang-Heng Wong
- Cancer Centre, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macau S.A.R., China
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16
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Shaik FA, Lewuillon C, Guillemette A, Ahmadian B, Brinster C, Quesnel B, Collard D, Touil Y, Lemonnier L, Tarhan MC. Pairing cells of different sizes in a microfluidic device for immunological synapse monitoring. LAB ON A CHIP 2022; 22:908-920. [PMID: 35098952 DOI: 10.1039/d1lc01156a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Analyzing cell-cell interaction is essential to investigate how immune cells function. Elegant designs have been demonstrated to study lymphocytes and their interaction partners. However, these devices have been targeting cells of similar dimensions. T lymphocytes are smaller, more deformable, and more sensitive to pressure than many cells. This work aims to fill the gap of a method for pairing cells with different dimensions. The developed method uses hydrodynamic flow focusing in the z-direction for on-site modulation of effective channel height to capture smaller cells as single cells. Due to immune cells' sensitivity to pressure, the proposed method provides a stable system without any change in flow conditions at the analysis area throughout experiments. Paired live cells have their activities analyzed with calcium imaging at the immunological synapse formed under a controlled environment. The method is demonstrated with primary human T lymphocytes, acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cell lines, and primary AML blasts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Faruk Azam Shaik
- University of Lille, Lille, France
- CNRS, IIS, COL, Univ. Lille SMMiL-E project, Lille, France
| | - Clara Lewuillon
- University of Lille, Lille, France
- Univ. Lille, CNRS, Inserm, CHU Lille, UMR9020-U1277 - Canther - Cancer Heterogeneity, Plasticity and Resistance to Therapies, F-59000 Lille, France.
| | - Aurélie Guillemette
- University of Lille, Lille, France
- Univ. Lille, CNRS, Inserm, CHU Lille, UMR9020-U1277 - Canther - Cancer Heterogeneity, Plasticity and Resistance to Therapies, F-59000 Lille, France.
| | - Bahram Ahmadian
- CNRS, IIS, COL, Univ. Lille SMMiL-E project, Lille, France
- Univ. Lille, CNRS, Centrale Lille, Junia, Univ. Polytechnique Hauts-de-France, UMR 8520 -IEMN -Institut d'Electronique de Microélectronique et de Nanotechnologie, F-59000 Lille, France.
| | - Carine Brinster
- University of Lille, Lille, France
- Univ. Lille, CNRS, Inserm, CHU Lille, UMR9020-U1277 - Canther - Cancer Heterogeneity, Plasticity and Resistance to Therapies, F-59000 Lille, France.
| | - Bruno Quesnel
- University of Lille, Lille, France
- Univ. Lille, CNRS, Inserm, CHU Lille, UMR9020-U1277 - Canther - Cancer Heterogeneity, Plasticity and Resistance to Therapies, F-59000 Lille, France.
| | - Dominique Collard
- CNRS, IIS, COL, Univ. Lille SMMiL-E project, Lille, France
- LIMMS/CNRS-IIS IRL2820, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yasmine Touil
- University of Lille, Lille, France
- Univ. Lille, CNRS, Inserm, CHU Lille, UMR9020-U1277 - Canther - Cancer Heterogeneity, Plasticity and Resistance to Therapies, F-59000 Lille, France.
| | - Loïc Lemonnier
- Univ. Lille, Inserm, U1003 - PHYCEL - Physiologie Cellulaire, F-59000 Lille, France.
- Laboratory of Excellence, Ion Channels Science and Therapeutics, Villeneuve d'Ascq, France
| | - Mehmet Cagatay Tarhan
- CNRS, IIS, COL, Univ. Lille SMMiL-E project, Lille, France
- Univ. Lille, CNRS, Centrale Lille, Junia, Univ. Polytechnique Hauts-de-France, UMR 8520 -IEMN -Institut d'Electronique de Microélectronique et de Nanotechnologie, F-59000 Lille, France.
- LIMMS/CNRS-IIS IRL2820, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
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17
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Understanding natural killer cell biology from a single cell perspective. Cell Immunol 2022; 373:104497. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cellimm.2022.104497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2021] [Revised: 01/26/2022] [Accepted: 02/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
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18
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Xu Y, Qi F, Mao H, Li S, Zhu Y, Gong J, Wang L, Malmstadt N, Chen Y. In-situ transfer vat photopolymerization for transparent microfluidic device fabrication. Nat Commun 2022; 13:918. [PMID: 35177598 PMCID: PMC8854570 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-28579-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2021] [Accepted: 01/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
While vat photopolymerization has many advantages over soft lithography in fabricating microfluidic devices, including efficiency and shape complexity, it has difficulty achieving well-controlled micrometer-sized (smaller than 100 μm) channels in the layer building direction. The considerable light penetration depth of transparent resin leads to over-curing that inevitably cures the residual resin inside flow channels, causing clogs. In this paper, a 3D printing process — in-situ transfer vat photopolymerization is reported to solve this critical over-curing issue in fabricating microfluidic devices. We demonstrate microchannels with high Z-resolution (within 10 μm level) and high accuracy (within 2 μm level) using a general method with no requirements on liquid resins such as reduced transparency nor leads to a reduced fabrication speed. Compared with all other vat photopolymerization-based techniques specialized for microfluidic channel fabrication, our universal approach is compatible with commonly used 405 nm light sources and commercial photocurable resins. The process has been verified by multifunctional devices, including 3D serpentine microfluidic channels, microfluidic valves, and particle sorting devices. This work solves a critical barrier in 3D printing microfluidic channels using the high-speed vat photopolymerization process and broadens the material options. It also significantly advances vat photopolymerization’s use in applications requiring small gaps with high accuracy in the Z-direction. Despite many advantages of vat photopolymerization in microfluidic device fabrication, well-controlled μm-sized (< 100 μm) channels in the layer building direction remains a challenge. Here, authors present a general high resolution and low-cost 3D printing process that can produce devices within the 10 μm scale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Xu
- Center for Advanced Manufacturing, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90007, USA.,Daniel J. Epstein Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA
| | - Fangjie Qi
- Center for Advanced Manufacturing, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90007, USA.,Daniel J. Epstein Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA
| | - Huachao Mao
- Center for Advanced Manufacturing, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90007, USA.,School of Engineering Technology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA
| | - Songwei Li
- Center for Advanced Manufacturing, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90007, USA.,Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA
| | - Yizhen Zhu
- Center for Advanced Manufacturing, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90007, USA.,Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA
| | - Jingwen Gong
- Center for Advanced Manufacturing, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90007, USA.,Mork Family Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA
| | - Lu Wang
- Mork Family Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA
| | - Noah Malmstadt
- Mork Family Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA.,Department of Chemistry, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA
| | - Yong Chen
- Center for Advanced Manufacturing, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90007, USA. .,Daniel J. Epstein Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA. .,Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA.
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19
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Yoon J, Kang Y, Kim H, Torati SR, Kim K, Lim B, Kim C. Magnetophoretic Micro-Distributor for Controlled Clustering of Cells. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2022; 9:e2103579. [PMID: 34910376 PMCID: PMC8867205 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202103579] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2021] [Revised: 10/31/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Cell clustering techniques are important to produce artificial cell clusters for in vitro models of intercellular mechanisms at the single-cell level. The analyses considering physical variables such as the shape and size of cells have been very limited. In addition, the precise manipulation of cells and control of the physical variables are still challenging. In this paper, a magnetophoretic device consisting of a trampoline micromagnet and active elements that enable the control of individual selective jumping motion and positioning of a micro-object is proposed. Based on a numerical simulation under various conditions, automatic separation or selective clustering of micro-objects according to their sizes is performed by parallel control and programmable manipulation. This method provides efficient control of the physical variables of cells and grouping of cells with the desired size and number, which can be a milestone for a better understanding of the intercellular dynamics between clustered cells at the single-cell level for future cell-on-chip applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonghwan Yoon
- Department of Emerging Materials ScienceDGISTDaegu42988Republic of Korea
| | - Yumin Kang
- Department of Emerging Materials ScienceDGISTDaegu42988Republic of Korea
| | - Hyeonseol Kim
- Department of Emerging Materials ScienceDGISTDaegu42988Republic of Korea
| | - Sri Ramulu Torati
- Department of Emerging Materials ScienceDGISTDaegu42988Republic of Korea
| | - Keonmok Kim
- Department of Emerging Materials ScienceDGISTDaegu42988Republic of Korea
| | - Byeonghwa Lim
- Department of Emerging Materials ScienceDGISTDaegu42988Republic of Korea
| | - CheolGi Kim
- Department of Emerging Materials ScienceDGISTDaegu42988Republic of Korea
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20
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Luo X, Chen JY, Ataei M, Lee A. Microfluidic Compartmentalization Platforms for Single Cell Analysis. BIOSENSORS 2022; 12:58. [PMID: 35200319 PMCID: PMC8869497 DOI: 10.3390/bios12020058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2021] [Revised: 01/17/2022] [Accepted: 01/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Many cellular analytical technologies measure only the average response from a cell population with an assumption that a clonal population is homogenous. The ensemble measurement often masks the difference among individual cells that can lead to misinterpretation. The advent of microfluidic technology has revolutionized single-cell analysis through precise manipulation of liquid and compartmentalizing single cells in small volumes (pico- to nano-liter). Due to its advantages from miniaturization, microfluidic systems offer an array of capabilities to study genomics, transcriptomics, and proteomics of a large number of individual cells. In this regard, microfluidic systems have emerged as a powerful technology to uncover cellular heterogeneity and expand the depth and breadth of single-cell analysis. This review will focus on recent developments of three microfluidic compartmentalization platforms (microvalve, microwell, and microdroplets) that target single-cell analysis spanning from proteomics to genomics. We also compare and contrast these three microfluidic platforms and discuss their respective advantages and disadvantages in single-cell analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuhao Luo
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA; (X.L.); (J.-Y.C.)
| | - Jui-Yi Chen
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA; (X.L.); (J.-Y.C.)
| | - Marzieh Ataei
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA;
| | - Abraham Lee
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA; (X.L.); (J.-Y.C.)
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA;
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21
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Liu Y, Huang Y, Lu R, Xin F, Liu G. Synthetic biology applications of the yeast mating signal pathway. Trends Biotechnol 2021; 40:620-631. [PMID: 34666896 DOI: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2021.09.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2021] [Revised: 09/17/2021] [Accepted: 09/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Cell fusion is a fundamental biological process that is involved in the development of most eukaryotic organisms. During the fusion process in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, cells respond to pheromones to trigger the MAPK (mitogen-activated protein kinase) cascade to initiate mating, followed by polarization, cell-wall remodeling, membrane fusion, and karyogamy. We highlight the applications of the yeast mating signal pathway in promoter engineering for tuning the expression of output genes, as well as in metabolic engineering for decoupling growth and metabolism, biosensors for sensitive detection and signal amplification, genetic circuits for programmable biological functionalities, and artificial consortia for cell-cell communication. Strategies such as exploiting rational engineering of modular circuits and optimizing the reproductive pathway to precisely maneuver physiological events have implications for scientific research and industrial development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Liu
- College of Biological and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Yuxin Huang
- College of Biological and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Ran Lu
- College of Biological and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Fengxue Xin
- College of Biological and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Guannan Liu
- College of Biological and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Jiangsu Province, China; Jiangsu Synergetic Innovation Center for Advanced Bio-Manufacture, Nanjing Tech University, Jiangsu Province, China.
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22
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Lipp C, Uning K, Cottet J, Migliozzi D, Bertsch A, Renaud P. Planar hydrodynamic traps and buried channels for bead and cell trapping and releasing. LAB ON A CHIP 2021; 21:3686-3694. [PMID: 34518854 PMCID: PMC8477447 DOI: 10.1039/d1lc00463h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2021] [Accepted: 08/25/2021] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
We present a novel concept for the controlled trapping and releasing of beads and cells in a PDMS microfluidic channel without obstacles present around the particle or in the channel. The trapping principle relies on a two-level microfluidic configuration: a top main PDMS channel interconnected to a buried glass microchannel using round vias. As the fluidic resistances rule the way the liquid flows inside the channels, particles located in the streamlines passing inside the buried level are immobilized by the round via with a smaller diameter, leaving the object motionless in the upper PDMS channel. The particle is maintained by the difference of pressure established across its interface and acts as an infinite fluidic resistance, virtually cancelling the subsequent buried fluidic path. The pressure is controlled at the outlet of the buried path and three modes of operation of a trap are defined: idle, trapping and releasing. The pressure conditions for each mode are defined based on the hydraulic-electrical circuit equivalence. The trapping of polystyrene beads in a compact array of 522 parallel traps controlled by a single pressure was demonstrated with a trapping efficiency of 94%. Pressure conditions necessary to safely trap cells in holes of different diameters were determined and demonstrated in an array of 25 traps, establishing the design and operation rules for the use of planar hydrodynamic traps for biological assays.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clémentine Lipp
- Laboratory of Microsystems LMIS4, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland.
| | - Kevin Uning
- Laboratory of Microsystems LMIS4, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland.
| | - Jonathan Cottet
- Laboratory of Microsystems LMIS4, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland.
| | - Daniel Migliozzi
- Laboratory of Microsystems LMIS4, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland.
| | - Arnaud Bertsch
- Laboratory of Microsystems LMIS4, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland.
| | - Philippe Renaud
- Laboratory of Microsystems LMIS4, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland.
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23
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Yellen BB, Zawistowski JS, Czech EA, Sanford CI, SoRelle ED, Luftig MA, Forbes ZG, Wood KC, Hammerbacher J. Massively parallel quantification of phenotypic heterogeneity in single-cell drug responses. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2021; 7:eabf9840. [PMID: 34533995 PMCID: PMC8448449 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abf9840] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2020] [Accepted: 07/28/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Single-cell analysis tools have made substantial advances in characterizing genomic heterogeneity; however, tools for measuring phenotypic heterogeneity have lagged due to the increased difficulty of handling live biology. Here, we report a single-cell phenotyping tool capable of measuring image-based clonal properties at scales approaching 100,000 clones per experiment. These advances are achieved by exploiting a previously unidentified flow regime in ladder microfluidic networks that, under appropriate conditions, yield a mathematically perfect cell trap. Machine learning and computer vision tools are used to control the imaging hardware and analyze the cellular phenotypic parameters within these images. Using this platform, we quantified the responses of tens of thousands of single cell–derived acute myeloid leukemia (AML) clones to targeted therapy, identifying rare resistance and morphological phenotypes at frequencies down to 0.05%. This approach can be extended to higher-level cellular architectures such as cell pairs and organoids and on-chip live-cell fluorescence assays.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin B. Yellen
- Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
- Celldom Inc., San Carlos, CA 94070, USA
| | | | - Eric A. Czech
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, USA
| | - Caleb I. Sanford
- Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Elliott D. SoRelle
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Center for Virology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Micah A. Luftig
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Center for Virology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | | | - Kris C. Wood
- Celldom Inc., San Carlos, CA 94070, USA
- Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Jeff Hammerbacher
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, USA
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24
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An automated real-time microfluidic platform to probe single NK cell heterogeneity and cytotoxicity on-chip. Sci Rep 2021; 11:17084. [PMID: 34429486 PMCID: PMC8385055 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-96609-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2021] [Accepted: 08/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Cytotoxicity is a vital effector mechanism used by immune cells to combat pathogens and cancer cells. While conventional cytotoxicity assays rely on averaged end-point measures, crucial insights on the dynamics and heterogeneity of effector and target cell interactions cannot be extracted, emphasizing the need for dynamic single-cell analysis. Here, we present a fully automated droplet-based microfluidic platform that allowed the real-time monitoring of effector-target cell interactions and killing, allowing the screening of over 60,000 droplets identifying 2000 individual cellular interactions monitored over 10 h. During the course of incubation, we observed that the dynamics of cytotoxicity within the Natural Killer (NK) cell population varies significantly over the time. Around 20% of the total NK cells in droplets showed positive cytotoxicity against paired K562 cells, most of which was exhibited within first 4 h of cellular interaction. Using our single cell analysis platform, we demonstrated that the population of NK cells is composed of individual cells with different strength in their effector functions, a behavior masked in conventional studies. Moreover, the versatility of our platform will allow the dynamic and resolved study of interactions between immune cell types and the finding and characterization of functional sub-populations, opening novel ways towards both fundamental and translational research.
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25
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Su FY, Mac QD, Sivakumar A, Kwong GA. Interfacing Biomaterials with Synthetic T Cell Immunity. Adv Healthc Mater 2021; 10:e2100157. [PMID: 33887123 PMCID: PMC8349871 DOI: 10.1002/adhm.202100157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2021] [Revised: 03/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The clinical success of cancer immunotherapy is providing exciting opportunities for the development of new methods to detect and treat cancer more effectively. A new generation of biomaterials is being developed to interface with molecular and cellular features of immunity and ultimately shape or control anti-tumor responses. Recent advances that are supporting the advancement of engineered T cells are focused here. This class of cancer therapy has the potential to cure disease in subsets of patients, yet there remain challenges such as the need to improve response rates and safety while lowering costs to expand their use. To provide a focused overview, recent strategies in three areas of biomaterials research are highlighted: low-cost cell manufacturing to broaden patient access, noninvasive diagnostics for predictive monitoring of immune responses, and strategies for in vivo control that enhance anti-tumor immunity. These research efforts shed light on some of the challenges associated with T cell immunotherapy and how engineered biomaterials that interface with synthetic immunity are gaining traction to solve these challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fang-Yi Su
- The Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology & Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA
| | - Quoc D Mac
- The Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology & Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA
| | - Anirudh Sivakumar
- The Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology & Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA
| | - Gabriel A Kwong
- The Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Institute for Electronics and Nanotechnology, Parker H. Petit Institute of Bioengineering and Bioscience, Integrated Cancer Research Center, Georgia Immunoengineering Consortium, Winship Cancer Institute, Emory University, Georgia Institute of Technology & Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA
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26
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Strategies for monitoring cell-cell interactions. Nat Chem Biol 2021; 17:641-652. [PMID: 34035514 DOI: 10.1038/s41589-021-00790-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2020] [Accepted: 03/30/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Multicellular organisms depend on physical cell-cell interactions to control physiological processes such as tissue formation, neurotransmission and immune response. These intercellular binding events can be both highly dynamic in their duration and complex in their composition, involving the participation of many different surface and intracellular biomolecules. Untangling the intricacy of these interactions and the signaling pathways they modulate has greatly improved insight into the biological processes that ensue upon cell-cell engagement and has led to the development of protein- and cell-based therapeutics. The importance of monitoring physical cell-cell interactions has inspired the development of several emerging approaches that effectively interrogate cell-cell interfaces with molecular-level detail. Specifically, the merging of chemistry- and biology-based technologies to deconstruct the complexity of cell-cell interactions has provided new avenues for understanding cell-cell interaction biology and opened opportunities for therapeutic development.
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27
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Zhou Y, Shao N, Bessa de Castro R, Zhang P, Ma Y, Liu X, Huang F, Wang RF, Qin L. Evaluation of Single-Cell Cytokine Secretion and Cell-Cell Interactions with a Hierarchical Loading Microwell Chip. Cell Rep 2021; 31:107574. [PMID: 32348757 PMCID: PMC7583657 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2020.107574] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2019] [Revised: 02/21/2020] [Accepted: 04/02/2020] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Comprehensive evaluation of single T cell functions such as cytokine secretion and cytolysis of target cells is greatly needed in adoptive cell therapy (ACT) but has never been fully fulfilled by current approaches. Herein, we develop a hierarchical loading microwell chip (HL-Chip) that aligns multiple cells and functionalized beads in a high-throughput microwell array with single-cell/bead precision based on size differences. We demonstrate the potential of the HL-Chip in evaluating single T cell functions by three applications: high-throughput longitudinal secretory profiling of single T cells, large-scale evaluation of cytolytic activity of single T cells, and integrated T cell-tumor cell interactions. The HL-Chip is a simple and robust technology that constructs arrays of defined cell/object combinations for multiple measurements and material retrieval.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yufu Zhou
- Department of Nanomedicine, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX 77030, USA; The Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008, China; Center for inflammation and Epigenetics, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Ning Shao
- Department of Nanomedicine, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Ricardo Bessa de Castro
- Department of Nanomedicine, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Pengchao Zhang
- Department of Nanomedicine, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Yuan Ma
- Department of Nanomedicine, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Xin Liu
- Center for inflammation and Epigenetics, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Department of Medicine and Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
| | - Feizhou Huang
- The Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008, China
| | - Rong-Fu Wang
- Center for inflammation and Epigenetics, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Los Angeles, The Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90027, USA; Department of Medicine and Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA.
| | - Lidong Qin
- Department of Nanomedicine, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY 10065, USA.
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28
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Tu H, Wu Z, Xia Y, Chen H, Hu H, Ding Z, Zhou F, Guo S. Profiling of immune-cancer interactions at the single-cell level using a microfluidic well array. Analyst 2021; 145:4138-4147. [PMID: 32409799 DOI: 10.1039/d0an00110d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Cancer immunotherapy has achieved great success in hematological cancers. However, immune cells are a highly heterogeneous population and can vary highly in clonal expansion, migration and function status, making it difficult to evaluate and predict patient response to immune therapy. Conventional technologies only yield information on the average population information of the treatment, masking the heterogeneity of the individual T cell activation status, the formation of immune synapse, as well as the efficacy of tumor cell killing at the single-cell level. To fully interrogate these single-cell events in detail, herein, we present a microfluidic microwell array device that enables the massive parallel analysis of the immunocyte's heterogeneity upon its interaction pairs with tumor cells at the single-cell level. By precisely controlling the number and ratio of tumor cells and T cells, our technique can interrogate the dynamics of the CD8+ T cell and leukemia cell interaction inside 6400 microfluidic wells simultaneously. We have demonstrated that by investigating the interactions of T cell and tumor cell pairs at the single-cell level using our microfluidic chip, details hidden in bulk investigations, such as heterogeneity in T cell killing capacity, time-dependent killing dynamics, as well as drug treatment-induced dynamic shifts, can be revealed. This method opens up avenues to investigate the efficacy of cancer immunotherapy and resistance at the single-cell level and can explore our understanding of fundamental cancer immunity as well as determine cancer immunotherapy efficacy for personalized therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Honglei Tu
- Department of Clinical Hematology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei 430071, People's Republic of China.
| | - Zhuhao Wu
- Key Laboratory of Artificial Micro- and Nano-structures of Ministry of Education, School of Physics and Technology, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China.
| | - Yu Xia
- Key Laboratory of Artificial Micro- and Nano-structures of Ministry of Education, School of Physics and Technology, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China.
| | - Hui Chen
- Key Laboratory of Artificial Micro- and Nano-structures of Ministry of Education, School of Physics and Technology, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China.
| | - Hang Hu
- Department of Colorectal and Anal Surgery, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei 430072, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhao Ding
- Department of Colorectal and Anal Surgery, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei 430072, People's Republic of China
| | - Fuling Zhou
- Department of Clinical Hematology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei 430071, People's Republic of China.
| | - Shishang Guo
- Key Laboratory of Artificial Micro- and Nano-structures of Ministry of Education, School of Physics and Technology, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China.
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29
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Jiang R, Agrawal S, Aghaamoo M, Parajuli R, Agrawal A, Lee AP. Rapid isolation of circulating cancer associated fibroblasts by acoustic microstreaming for assessing metastatic propensity of breast cancer patients. LAB ON A CHIP 2021; 21:875-887. [PMID: 33351008 DOI: 10.1039/d0lc00969e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
We demonstrate a label free and high-throughput microbubble-based acoustic microstreaming technique to isolate rare circulating cells such as circulating cancer associated fibroblasts (cCAFs) in addition to circulating tumor cells (CTCs) and immune cells (i.e. leukocytes) from clinically diagnosed patients with a capture efficiency of 94% while preserving cell functional integrity within 8 minutes. The microfluidic device is self-pumping and was optimized to increase flow rate and achieve near perfect capturing of rare cells enabled by having a trapping capacity above the acoustic vortex saturation concentration threshold. Our approach enables rapid isolation of CTCs, cCAFs and their associated clusters from blood samples of cancer patients at different stages. By examining the combined role of cCAFs and CTCs in early cancer onset and metastasis progression, the device accurately diagnoses both cancer and the metastatic propensity of breast cancer patients. This was confirmed by flow cytometry where we observed that metastatic breast cancer blood samples had significantly higher percentage of exhausted CD8+ T cells expressing programmed cell death protein 1 (PD1), higher number of CD4+ T regulatory cells and T helper cells. We show for the first time that our lateral cavity acoustic transducers (LCATs)-based approach can thus be developed into a metastatic propensity assay for clinical usage by elucidating cancer immunological responses and the complex relationships between CTCs and its companion tumor microenvironment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruoyu Jiang
- Biomedical Engineering, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA.
| | - Sudhanshu Agrawal
- Department of Medicine, Division of Basic and Clinical Immunology, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Mohammad Aghaamoo
- Biomedical Engineering, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA.
| | - Ritesh Parajuli
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology Oncology, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Anshu Agrawal
- Department of Medicine, Division of Basic and Clinical Immunology, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Abraham P Lee
- Biomedical Engineering, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA. and Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
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30
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Yang BA, Westerhof TM, Sabin K, Merajver SD, Aguilar CA. Engineered Tools to Study Intercellular Communication. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2021; 8:2002825. [PMID: 33552865 PMCID: PMC7856891 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202002825] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2020] [Revised: 10/10/2020] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
All multicellular organisms rely on intercellular communication networks to coordinate physiological functions. As members of a dynamic social network, each cell receives, processes, and redistributes biological information to define and maintain tissue homeostasis. Uncovering the molecular programs underlying these processes is critical for prevention of disease and aging and development of therapeutics. The study of intercellular communication requires techniques that reduce the scale and complexity of in vivo biological networks while resolving the molecular heterogeneity in "omic" layers that contribute to cell state and function. Recent advances in microengineering and high-throughput genomics offer unprecedented spatiotemporal control over cellular interactions and the ability to study intercellular communication in a high-throughput and mechanistic manner. Herein, this review discusses how salient engineered approaches and sequencing techniques can be applied to understand collective cell behavior and tissue functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin A. Yang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Biointerfaces Institute2800 Plymouth Road, North Campus Research ComplexAnn ArborMIA10‐183USA
| | - Trisha M. Westerhof
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Biointerfaces Institute2800 Plymouth Road, North Campus Research ComplexAnn ArborMIA10‐183USA
- Department of Internal MedicineDivision of Hematology/Oncology and Rogel Cancer Center1500 East Medical Center Drive, Rogel Cancer CenterAnn ArborMI7314USA
| | - Kaitlyn Sabin
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Biointerfaces Institute2800 Plymouth Road, North Campus Research ComplexAnn ArborMIA10‐183USA
| | - Sofia D. Merajver
- Department of Internal MedicineDivision of Hematology/Oncology and Rogel Cancer Center1500 East Medical Center Drive, Rogel Cancer CenterAnn ArborMI7314USA
| | - Carlos A. Aguilar
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Biointerfaces Institute2800 Plymouth Road, North Campus Research ComplexAnn ArborMIA10‐183USA
- Program in Cellular and Molecular Biology2800 Plymouth Road, North Campus Research ComplexAnn ArborMIA10‐183USA
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31
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Fajrial AK, Liu K, Gao Y, Gu J, Lakerveld R, Ding X. Characterization of Single-Cell Osmotic Swelling Dynamics for New Physical Biomarkers. Anal Chem 2021; 93:1317-1325. [PMID: 33253534 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.0c02289] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Characterization of cell physical biomarkers is vital to understand cell properties and applicable for disease diagnostics. Current methods used to analyze physical phenotypes involve external forces to deform the cells. Alternatively, internal tension forces via osmotic swelling can also deform the cells. However, an established assumption contends that the forces generated during hypotonic swelling concentrated on the plasma membrane are incapable of assessing the physical properties of nucleated cells. Here, we utilized an osmotic swelling approach to characterize different types of nucleated cells. Using a microfluidic device for cell trapping arrays with truncated hanging micropillars (CellHangars), we isolated single cells and evaluated the swelling dynamics during the hypotonic challenge at 1 s time resolution. We demonstrated that cells with different mechanical phenotypes showed unique swelling dynamics signature. Different types of cells can be classified with an accuracy of up to ∼99%. We also showed that swelling dynamics can detect cellular mechanical property changes due to cytoskeleton disruption. Considering its simplicity, swelling dynamics offers an invaluable label-free physical biomarker for cells with potential applications in both biological studies and clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Apresio K Fajrial
- Paul M. Rady Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, 1111 Engineering Drive, UCB 427, Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States
| | - Kun Liu
- Paul M. Rady Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, 1111 Engineering Drive, UCB 427, Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States
| | - Yu Gao
- Paul M. Rady Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, 1111 Engineering Drive, UCB 427, Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States
| | - Junhao Gu
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China
| | - Richard Lakerveld
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China
| | - Xiaoyun Ding
- Paul M. Rady Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, 1111 Engineering Drive, UCB 427, Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States.,Biomedical Engineering Program, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States
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32
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LaBelle CA, Massaro A, Cortés-Llanos B, Sims CE, Allbritton NL. Image-Based Live Cell Sorting. Trends Biotechnol 2020; 39:613-623. [PMID: 33190968 DOI: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2020.10.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2020] [Revised: 10/13/2020] [Accepted: 10/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Technologies capable of cell separation based on cell images provide powerful tools enabling cell selection criteria that rely on spatially or temporally varying properties. Image-based cell sorting (IBCS) systems utilize microfluidic or microarray platforms, each having unique characteristics and applications. The advent of IBCS marks a new paradigm in which cell phenotype and behavior can be explored with high resolution and tied to cellular physiological and omics data, providing a deeper understanding of single-cell physiology and the creation of cell lines with unique properties. Cell sorting guided by high-content image information has far-reaching implications in biomedical research, clinical medicine, and pharmaceutical development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cody A LaBelle
- Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, and North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA; Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Angelo Massaro
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | | | - Christopher E Sims
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA; Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Nancy L Allbritton
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
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33
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Desalvo A, Bateman F, James E, Morgan H, Elliott T. Time-resolved microwell cell-pairing array reveals multiple T cell activation profiles. LAB ON A CHIP 2020; 20:3772-3783. [PMID: 32902549 DOI: 10.1039/d0lc00628a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The differences in behaviour between individual cells in a large population are often important, yet are masked in bulk analyses where only average parameters are measured. One unresolved question in the field of immunology is the extent to which important immunological phenomena such as immunodominance to cancer antigens correlates with the average activity of a population of antigen-specific T lymphocytes, or with the activity of individual "outlier" cells. Despite progress in single cell technologies, few platforms are available that can deliver time-resolved, functional analysis at single cell resolution, for these investigations. We have developed an accessible high-throughput platform to measure single T cell signalling in real time following time-controlled stimulation by live antigen presenting cells. The cell-trap array consists of thousands of individual microwells cast in an agarose block, which is biocompatible and permeable to nutrients. Single T cells are isolated in wells via passive sedimentation and size exclusion, achieving up to 90% occupancy. The device enables simultaneous activation of thousands of single CD8+ cells. Stimulation with soluble reagents (ionomycin, anti-CD3 antibodies) or antigen presenting cells leads to changes in intracellular calcium concentrations which were measured using calcium-chelating fluorophore dyes. The platform was used to demonstrate a range of activation profiles among individual cells of a cloned, antigen specific CD8+ T cell hybridoma in response to both nonspecific stimuli and specific, physiologically relevant antigen stimulation. The presence of two different activation profiles was demonstrated, together with rare outlier behaviour among cells that are essentially clonal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Desalvo
- Centre for Cancer Immunology, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK.
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34
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Biotechnologies to tackle the challenge of neoantigen identification. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2020; 65:52-59. [DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2019.12.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2019] [Revised: 12/12/2019] [Accepted: 12/16/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
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35
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Yamaguchi S, Takagi R, Hosogane T, Ohashi Y, Sakai Y, Sakakihara S, Iino R, Tabata KV, Noji H, Okamoto A. Single Cell Array Enclosed with a Photodegradable Hydrogel in Microwells for Image-Based Cell Classification and Selective Photorelease of Cells. ACS APPLIED BIO MATERIALS 2020; 3:5887-5895. [PMID: 35021817 DOI: 10.1021/acsabm.0c00583] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Single cell arrays provide an accurate classification of analyte cells through an image-based analysis of cellular phenotypes. Light-guided cell retrieval from a single cell array is a promising approach for the rapid and simple sorting of difficult to distinguish cells. In this study, we developed a single cell array enclosed with a photodegradable hydrogel in microwells to enable both comprehensive image-based single cell analysis and light-guided cell retrieval. In this system, individual cells became trapped in the microwells together with the photodegradable hydrogel at a high cell density on a chip regardless of cell type, adhesiveness, and motility. Fluorescence-stained model cells and vaccinated dendritic cells were identified by microscopic imaging and then selectively released through the light-induced degradation of the cell-embedding hydrogels. The target cells were selectively retrieved with a purity of >95% from the cell mixture through rapid photorelease, and the retrieved cells were confirmed to grow normally. Our results provide proof-of-principle that the photoresponsive microwell array serves as a versatile tool for image-based cell sorting in cellular researches and the manufacturing processes of high-performance cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Satoshi Yamaguchi
- Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, The University of Tokyo, 4-6-1 Komaba, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 153-8904, Japan.,PRESTO, Japan Science and Technology Agency, 4-1-8 Hon-cho, Kawaguchi, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
| | - Risa Takagi
- Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, Graduate School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan
| | - Tsuyoshi Hosogane
- Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, Graduate School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan
| | - Yuki Ohashi
- Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, The University of Tokyo, 4-6-1 Komaba, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 153-8904, Japan
| | - Yoko Sakai
- Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, Graduate School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan
| | - Shouichi Sakakihara
- The Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research, Osaka University, 8-1 Mihogaoka, Ibaraki, Osaka 567-0047, Japan
| | - Ryota Iino
- Institute for Molecular Science, 5-1 Higashiyama, Myodaiji, Okazaki 444-8787, Japan
| | - Kazuhito V Tabata
- Department of Applied Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1, Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Noji
- Department of Applied Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1, Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan
| | - Akimitsu Okamoto
- Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, The University of Tokyo, 4-6-1 Komaba, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 153-8904, Japan.,Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, Graduate School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan
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36
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Abstract
The immune system is composed of heterogeneous populations of immune cells that regulate physiological processes and protect organisms against diseases. Single cell technologies have been used to assess immune cell responses at the single cell level, which are crucial for identifying the causes of diseases and elucidating underlying biological mechanisms to facilitate medical therapy. In the present review we first discuss the most recent advances in the development of single cell technologies to investigate cell signaling, cell-cell interactions and cell migration. Each technology's advantages and limitations and its applications in immunology are subsequently reviewed. The latest progress toward commercialization, the remaining challenges and future perspectives for single cell technologies in immunology are also briefly discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jane Ru Choi
- Centre for Blood Research, Life Sciences Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z3, Canada.,Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4, Canada
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37
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Yamaguchi S, Takasaki Y, Yamahira S, Nagamune T. Photo-Cleavable Peptide-Poly(Ethylene Glycol) Conjugate Surfaces for Light-Guided Control of Cell Adhesion. MICROMACHINES 2020; 11:E762. [PMID: 32784375 PMCID: PMC7465029 DOI: 10.3390/mi11080762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2020] [Revised: 07/31/2020] [Accepted: 08/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Photo-responsive cell attachment surfaces can simplify patterning and recovery of cells in microdevices for medicinal and pharmaceutical research. We developed a photo-responsive surface for controlling the attachment and release of adherent cells on a substrate under light-guidance. The surface comprises a poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)-based photocleavable material that can conjugate with cell-adhesive peptides. Surface-bound peptides were released by photocleavage in the light-exposed region, where the cell attachment was subsequently suppressed by the exposed PEG. Simultaneously, cells selectively adhered to the peptide surface at the unexposed microscale region. After culture, the adhered and spread cells were released by exposure to a light with nontoxic dose level. Thus, the present surface can easily create both cell-adhesive and non-cell-adhesive regions on the substrate by single irradiation of the light pattern, and the adhered cells were selectively released from the light-exposed region on the cell micropattern without damage. This study shows that the photo-responsive surface can serve as a facile platform for the remote-control of patterning and recovery of adherent cells in microdevices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Satoshi Yamaguchi
- Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, The University of Tokyo, 4-6-1 Komaba, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 153-8904, Japan
- Precursory Research for Embryonic Science and Technology (PRESTO), Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), 4-1-8 Hon-cho, Kawaguchi, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
| | - Yumi Takasaki
- Department of Bioengineering, Graduate School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan
| | - Shinya Yamahira
- Center for Medical Sciences, St. Luke’s International University, 3-6-2 Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0045, Japan
| | - Teruyuki Nagamune
- Department of Bioengineering, Graduate School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan
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38
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Jammes FC, Maerkl SJ. How single-cell immunology is benefiting from microfluidic technologies. MICROSYSTEMS & NANOENGINEERING 2020; 6:45. [PMID: 34567657 PMCID: PMC8433390 DOI: 10.1038/s41378-020-0140-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2019] [Revised: 01/14/2020] [Accepted: 01/25/2020] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
The immune system is a complex network of specialized cells that work in concert to protect against invading pathogens and tissue damage. Imbalances in this network often result in excessive or absent immune responses leading to allergies, autoimmune diseases, and cancer. Many of the mechanisms and their regulation remain poorly understood. Immune cells are highly diverse, and an immune response is the result of a large number of molecular and cellular interactions both in time and space. Conventional bulk methods are often prone to miss important details by returning population-averaged results. There is a need in immunology to measure single cells and to study the dynamic interplay of immune cells with their environment. Advances in the fields of microsystems and microengineering gave rise to the field of microfluidics and its application to biology. Microfluidic systems enable the precise control of small volumes in the femto- to nanoliter range. By controlling device geometries, surface chemistry, and flow behavior, microfluidics can create a precisely defined microenvironment for single-cell studies with spatio-temporal control. These features are highly desirable for single-cell analysis and have made microfluidic devices useful tools for studying complex immune systems. In addition, microfluidic devices can achieve high-throughput measurements, enabling in-depth studies of complex systems. Microfluidics has been used in a large panel of biological applications, ranging from single-cell genomics, cell signaling and dynamics to cell-cell interaction and cell migration studies. In this review, we give an overview of state-of-the-art microfluidic techniques, their application to single-cell immunology, their advantages and drawbacks, and provide an outlook for the future of single-cell technologies in research and medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabien C. Jammes
- Institute of Bioengineering, School of Engineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Sebastian J. Maerkl
- Institute of Bioengineering, School of Engineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
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39
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Sarkar S, Kang W, Jiang S, Li K, Ray S, Luther E, Ivanov AR, Fu Y, Konry T. Machine learning-aided quantification of antibody-based cancer immunotherapy by natural killer cells in microfluidic droplets. LAB ON A CHIP 2020; 20:2317-2327. [PMID: 32458907 PMCID: PMC7938931 DOI: 10.1039/d0lc00158a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Natural killer (NK) cells have emerged as an effective alternative option to T cell-based immunotherapies, particularly against liquid (hematologic) tumors. However, the effectiveness of NK cell therapy has been less than optimal for solid tumors, partly due to the heterogeneity in target interaction leading to variable anti-tumor cytotoxicity. This paper describes a microfluidic droplet-based cytotoxicity assay for quantitative comparison of immunotherapeutic NK-92 cell interaction with various types of target cells. Machine learning algorithms were developed to assess the dynamics of individual effector-target cell pair conjugation and target death in droplets in a semi-automated manner. Our results showed that while short contacts were sufficient to induce potent killing of hematological cancer cells, long-lasting stable conjugation with NK-92 cells was unable to kill HER2+ solid tumor cells (SKOV3, SKBR3) significantly. NK-92 cells that were engineered to express FcγRIII (CD16) mediated antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) selectively against HER2+ cells upon addition of Herceptin (trastuzumab). The requirement of CD16, Herceptin and specific pre-incubation temperature served as three inputs to generate a molecular logic function with HER2+ cell death as the output. Mass proteomic analysis of the two effector cell lines suggested differential changes in adhesion, exocytosis, metabolism, transport and activation of upstream regulators and cytotoxicity mediators, which can be utilized to regulate specific functionalities of NK-92 cells in future. These results suggest that this semi-automated single cell assay can reveal the variability and functional potency of NK cells and may be used to optimize immunotherapeutic efficacy for preclinical analyses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saheli Sarkar
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Northeastern University, 360 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA, USA.
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40
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Li Y, Motschman JD, Kelly ST, Yellen BB. Injection Molded Microfluidics for Establishing High-Density Single Cell Arrays in an Open Hydrogel Format. Anal Chem 2020; 92:2794-2801. [PMID: 31934750 PMCID: PMC7295173 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.9b05099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Here, we develop an injection molded microfluidic approach for single cell analysis by making use of (1) rapidly curing injectable hydrogels, (2) a high density microfluidic weir trap array, and (3) reversibly bonded PDMS lids that are strong enough to withstand the injection molding process, but which can be peeled off after the hydrogel sets. This approach allows for single cell patterns to be created with densities exceeding 40 cells per mm2, is amenable to high speed imaging, and creates microfluidic devices that enable efficient nutrient and gas exchange and the delivery of specific biological and chemical reagents to individual cells. We show that it is possible to organize up to 10 000 single cells in a few minutes on the device, and we developed an image analysis program to automatically analyze the single-cell capture efficiency. The results show single cell trapping rates were better than 80%. We also demonstrate that the genomic DNA of the single cells trapped in the hydrogel can be amplified via localized, multiple displacement amplification in a massively parallel format, which offers a promising strategy for analyzing single cell genomes. Finally, we show the ability to perform selective staining of individual cells with a commercial bioprinter, providing proof of concept of its ability to deliver tailored reagents to specific cells in an array for future downstream analysis. This injection molded microfluidic approach leverages the benefits of both closed and open microfluidics, allows multiday single cell cultures, direct access to the trapped cells for genotypic end point studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Li
- Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
- State Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Atomic and Molecular Physics, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, National Center for Magnetic Resonance in Wuhan, Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance in Biological Systems, Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics, Innovation Academy for Precision Measurement Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430071, China
| | - Jeffrey D. Motschman
- Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Sean T. Kelly
- Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Benjamin B. Yellen
- Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
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41
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Li L, Wang H, Huang L, Michael SA, Huang W, Wu H. A Controllable, Centrifugal-Based Hydrodynamic Microfluidic Chip for Cell-Pairing and Studying Long-Term Communications between Single Cells. Anal Chem 2019; 91:15908-15914. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.9b04370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Lijun Li
- Department of Chemistry, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water
Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China
- Department of Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Cell Microenvironment and Disease Research, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Cell Microenvironment, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Huirong Wang
- Department of Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Cell Microenvironment and Disease Research, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Cell Microenvironment, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Lu Huang
- Department of Chemistry, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water
Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China
| | - Sean Alan Michael
- Department of Chemistry, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water
Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China
| | - Wei Huang
- Department of Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Cell Microenvironment and Disease Research, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Cell Microenvironment, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Hongkai Wu
- Department of Chemistry, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water
Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China
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42
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Jarzębska NT, Yamaguchi S, Izuta S, Kosaka T, Yamahira S, Nagamune T, Okamoto A. Photo-responsive materials with strong cell trapping ability for light-guided manipulation of nonadherent cells. Biomater Sci 2019; 7:4514-4518. [PMID: 31602442 DOI: 10.1039/c9bm01200a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
We report a photo-cleavable material for tight trapping of nonadherent cells to substrate surfaces. Model immunocytes were selectively trapped in a non-irradiated area as single cells after the projection of a light pattern and withstood high-speed laminar flow, achieving light-guided cell release from the substrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia Teresa Jarzębska
- Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, Graduate School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan.
| | - Satoshi Yamaguchi
- Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, The University of Tokyo, 4-6-1 Komaba, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 153-8904, Japan. and PRESTO, Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), 4-1-8 Hon-cho, Kawaguchi, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
| | - Shin Izuta
- Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, Graduate School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan.
| | - Takahiro Kosaka
- Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, Graduate School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan.
| | - Shinya Yamahira
- Center for Medical Sciences, St. Luke's International University, 10-1 Akashi-Cho, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, 104-0044, Japan
| | - Teruyuki Nagamune
- Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, Graduate School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan.
| | - Akimitsu Okamoto
- Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, Graduate School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan. and Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, The University of Tokyo, 4-6-1 Komaba, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 153-8904, Japan.
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43
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Isozaki A, Mikami H, Hiramatsu K, Sakuma S, Kasai Y, Iino T, Yamano T, Yasumoto A, Oguchi Y, Suzuki N, Shirasaki Y, Endo T, Ito T, Hiraki K, Yamada M, Matsusaka S, Hayakawa T, Fukuzawa H, Yatomi Y, Arai F, Di Carlo D, Nakagawa A, Hoshino Y, Hosokawa Y, Uemura S, Sugimura T, Ozeki Y, Nitta N, Goda K. A practical guide to intelligent image-activated cell sorting. Nat Protoc 2019; 14:2370-2415. [PMID: 31278398 DOI: 10.1038/s41596-019-0183-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2019] [Accepted: 04/18/2019] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Intelligent image-activated cell sorting (iIACS) is a machine-intelligence technology that performs real-time intelligent image-based sorting of single cells with high throughput. iIACS extends beyond the capabilities of fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) from fluorescence intensity profiles of cells to multidimensional images, thereby enabling high-content sorting of cells or cell clusters with unique spatial chemical and morphological traits. Therefore, iIACS serves as an integral part of holistic single-cell analysis by enabling direct links between population-level analysis (flow cytometry), cell-level analysis (microscopy), and gene-level analysis (sequencing). Specifically, iIACS is based on a seamless integration of high-throughput cell microscopy (e.g., multicolor fluorescence imaging, bright-field imaging), cell focusing, cell sorting, and deep learning on a hybrid software-hardware data management infrastructure, enabling real-time automated operation for data acquisition, data processing, intelligent decision making, and actuation. Here, we provide a practical guide to iIACS that describes how to design, build, characterize, and use an iIACS machine. The guide includes the consideration of several important design parameters, such as throughput, sensitivity, dynamic range, image quality, sort purity, and sort yield; the development and integration of optical, microfluidic, electrical, computational, and mechanical components; and the characterization and practical usage of the integrated system. Assuming that all components are readily available, a team of several researchers experienced in optics, electronics, digital signal processing, microfluidics, mechatronics, and flow cytometry can complete this protocol in ~3 months.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akihiro Isozaki
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hideharu Mikami
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | | | - Shinya Sakuma
- Department of Micro-Nano Mechanical Science and Engineering, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Yusuke Kasai
- Department of Micro-Nano Mechanical Science and Engineering, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Takanori Iino
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Information Systems, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Takashi Yamano
- Laboratory of Applied Molecular Microbiology, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Atsushi Yasumoto
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yusuke Oguchi
- Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Nobutake Suzuki
- Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | | | | | - Takuro Ito
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.,Japan Science and Technology Agency, Saitama, Japan
| | - Kei Hiraki
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Makoto Yamada
- Department of Intelligence Science and Technology, Graduate School of Informatics, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Satoshi Matsusaka
- Clinical Research and Regional Innovation, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Takeshi Hayakawa
- Department of Precision Mechanics, Chuo University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hideya Fukuzawa
- Laboratory of Applied Molecular Microbiology, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Yutaka Yatomi
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Fumihito Arai
- Department of Micro-Nano Mechanical Science and Engineering, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Dino Di Carlo
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.,Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.,Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.,California NanoSystems Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Atsuhiro Nakagawa
- Department of Neurosurgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
| | - Yu Hoshino
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Yoichiroh Hosokawa
- Division of Materials Science, Graduate School of Science and Technology, Nara Institute of Science and Technology, Ikoma, Japan
| | - Sotaro Uemura
- Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Takeaki Sugimura
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.,Japan Science and Technology Agency, Saitama, Japan
| | - Yasuyuki Ozeki
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Information Systems, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Nao Nitta
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.,Japan Science and Technology Agency, Saitama, Japan
| | - Keisuke Goda
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan. .,Japan Science and Technology Agency, Saitama, Japan. .,Department of Electrical Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
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44
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Abstract
Microfluidics is an appealing platform for drug screening and discovery. Compared with the conventional drug screening methods based on Petri dishes and experimental animals, microfluidic devices have many advantages including miniaturized size, ease-to-use, high sensitivity, and high throughput. More importantly, bioassays on microfluidics can avoid ethical issues which can be a big obstacle hindering the performance of the experiments on animals or human being. Furthermore, three-dimensional (3D) microchips can recapitulate various biochemical and biophysical conditions in vivo and mimic the natural microenvironment of the tissues/organs, providing versatile in vitro models for biomedical applications. In this Perspective, we will focus on the cell-based microfluidic assays for drug screening. Meanwhile, we also propose potential solutions for the difficulties in this field and discuss the prospects of microfluidics-based technologies for drug screening.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyan Liu
- Beijing Engineering Research Center for BioNanotechnology and CAS Key Laboratory for Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterials and Nanosafety, CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, National Center for NanoScience and Technology, No. 11 Zhongguancun Beiyitiao, Beijing 100190, P. R. China
- Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing 100871, P. R. China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 19 A Yuquan Road, Shijingshan District, Beijing, 100049, P. R. China
| | - Wenfu Zheng
- Beijing Engineering Research Center for BioNanotechnology and CAS Key Laboratory for Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterials and Nanosafety, CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, National Center for NanoScience and Technology, No. 11 Zhongguancun Beiyitiao, Beijing 100190, P. R. China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 19 A Yuquan Road, Shijingshan District, Beijing, 100049, P. R. China
| | - Xingyu Jiang
- Beijing Engineering Research Center for BioNanotechnology and CAS Key Laboratory for Biomedical Effects of Nanomaterials and Nanosafety, CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, National Center for NanoScience and Technology, No. 11 Zhongguancun Beiyitiao, Beijing 100190, P. R. China
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, No. 1088 Xueyuan Road, Nanshan District, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518055, P. R. China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 19 A Yuquan Road, Shijingshan District, Beijing, 100049, P. R. China
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45
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Chen Z, Chen JJ, Fan R. Single-Cell Protein Secretion Detection and Profiling. ANNUAL REVIEW OF ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY (PALO ALTO, CALIF.) 2019; 12:431-449. [PMID: 30978293 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-anchem-061318-115055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Secreted proteins play important roles in mediating various biological processes such as cell-cell communication, differentiation, migration, and homeostasis at the population or tissue level. Here, we review bioanalytical technologies and devices for detecting protein secretions from single cells. We begin by discussing conventional approaches followed by detailing the latest advances in microengineered systems for detecting single-cell protein secretions with an emphasis on multiplex measurement. These platforms include droplet microfluidics, micro-/nanowell-based assays, and microchamber-based assays, among which the advantages and limitations are compared. Microscale systems also enable the tracking of protein secretion dynamics in single cells, further empowering the study of the cell-cell communication network. Looking forward, we discuss the remaining challenges and future opportunities that will transform basic research of cellular secretion functions at the systems level and the clinical applications for immune monitoring and cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhuo Chen
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520, USA;
| | - Jonathan J Chen
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520, USA;
| | - Rong Fan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520, USA;
- Yale Cancer Center, Yale Stem Cell Center, Human and Translational Immunology Program, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut 06520, USA
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46
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Kim SE, Kim H, Doh J. Single cell arrays of hematological cancer cells for assessment of lymphocyte cytotoxicity dynamics, serial killing, and extracellular molecules. LAB ON A CHIP 2019; 19:2009-2018. [PMID: 31065640 DOI: 10.1039/c9lc00133f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Cytotoxicity exerted by cytotoxic lymphocytes against cancer cells is an essential cellular function for successful cancer immunotherapy. Standard cytotoxicity assays mostly provide population level information, whereas live cell imaging-based cytotoxicity assays can assess single cell level heterogeneity. However, long term tracking of individual cytotoxic lymphocyte-hematological cancer cell interactions is technically challenging because both cells can float around and form multi-cellular aggregates. To overcome this limitation, single hematological cancer cell arrays with immobilized hematological cancer cells are fabricated using microwell arrays. Using this new platform, single cell level natural killer (NK) cell cytotoxicity against leukemic cells is quantitatively assessed. Depending on microwell surface adhesiveness and inter-microwell distances, distinct modes of NK-leukemic cell interactions that result in different NK cell cytotoxicity are observed. For microwell arrays coated with bovine serum albumin, which prevents cell adhesion, NK cells stably contacted cancer cells with rounded morphologies, whereas for microwell arrays coated with fibronectin (FN), which triggers integrin signals, NK cells contacting cancer cells exhibited dynamic behaviors with elongated morphologies and constantly explored extracellular spaces by membrane extension. In addition, FN on extracellular spaces facilitate NK cell detachment from leukemic cells after killing by providing anchorage for force transmission, and promote cytotoxicity and serial killing. Single hematologic cell arrays are not only an efficient method for lymphocyte cytotoxicity analysis but also a useful tool to study the role of signaling molecules in extracellular spaces on lymphocyte cytotoxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seong-Eun Kim
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), 77, Cheongam-ro, Nam-gu, Pohang, Gyeongbuk 37673, Korea
| | - HyeMi Kim
- Integrative Biosciences & Biotechnology (IBB), Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), 77, Cheongam-ro, Nam-gu, Pohang, Gyeongbuk 37673, Korea
| | - Junsang Doh
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), 77, Cheongam-ro, Nam-gu, Pohang, Gyeongbuk 37673, Korea and School of Interdisciplinary Bioscience and Bioengineering (I-Bio), Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), 77, Cheongam-ro, Nam-gu, Pohang, Gyeongbuk 37673, Korea and Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 08826, South Korea.
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47
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He CK, Chen YW, Wang SH, Hsu CH. Hydrodynamic shuttling for deterministic high-efficiency multiple single-cell capture in a microfluidic chip. LAB ON A CHIP 2019; 19:1370-1377. [PMID: 30888367 DOI: 10.1039/c9lc00036d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Studies on cellular heterogeneity have emerged as a powerful approach for developing new strategies to treat diseases including cancer. However, it is difficult to set up an in vitro co-culture experiment to study the interaction of individual live cells. In this paper, we report a hydrodynamic shuttling chip (HSC) which can deterministically capture single cells into microfluidic chambers to set up multiple single-cell co-culture experiments in which individual live cells can be microscopically observed. Using this chip device, we demonstrated a triple single-cell culture of oral squamous cell carcinoma and lymphatic endothelial cells to observe the effect of cell-cell interaction on the cell motility. Triple, single-cell pairing efficiency by our HSC device was eightfold higher than that of the probabilistic method. Using this HSC device, we were able to perform triple-culture experiments to show the cell type-dependent motility of oral squamous cell carcinoma and lymphatic endothelial cells, which was not observed in co-culture experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheng-Kun He
- Ph.D. Program in Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan
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48
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Abstract
Single-cell omics studies provide unique information regarding cellular heterogeneity at various levels of the molecular biology central dogma. This knowledge facilitates a deeper understanding of how underlying molecular and architectural changes alter cell behavior, development, and disease processes. The emerging microchip-based tools for single-cell omics analysis are enabling the evaluation of cellular omics with high throughput, improved sensitivity, and reduced cost. We review state-of-the-art microchip platforms for profiling genomics, epigenomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, and multi-omics at single-cell resolution. We also discuss the background of and challenges in the analysis of each molecular layer and integration of multiple levels of omics data, as well as how microchip-based methodologies benefit these fields. Additionally, we examine the advantages and limitations of these approaches. Looking forward, we describe additional challenges and future opportunities that will facilitate the improvement and broad adoption of single-cell omics in life science and medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanxiang Deng
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06511, USA; , ,
| | - Amanda Finck
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06511, USA; , ,
| | - Rong Fan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06511, USA; , ,
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Fatsis-Kavalopoulos N, O'Callaghan P, Xie B, Hernández Vera R, Idevall-Hagren O, Kreuger J. Formation of precisely composed cancer cell clusters using a cell assembly generator (CAGE) for studying paracrine signaling at single-cell resolution. LAB ON A CHIP 2019; 19:1071-1081. [PMID: 30783638 DOI: 10.1039/c8lc01153b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
The function and behaviour of any given cell in a healthy tissue, or in a tumor, is affected by interactions with its neighboring cells. It is therefore important to create methods that allow for reconstruction of tissue niches in vitro for studies of cell-cell signaling and associated cell behaviour. To this end we created the cell assembly generator (CAGE), a microfluidic device which enables the organization of different cell types into precise cell clusters in a flow chamber compatible with high-resolution microscopy. In proof-of-concept paracrine signalling experiments, 4-cell clusters consisting of one pancreatic β-cell and three breast cancer cells were formed. It has previously been established that extracellular ATP induces calcium (Ca2+) release from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) to the cytosol before it is cleared back into the ER via sarcoplasmic/ER Ca2+ ATPase (SERCA) pumps. Here, ATP release from the β-cell was stimulated by depolarization, and dynamic changes in Ca2+ levels in the adjacent cancer cells measured using imaging of the calcium indicator Fluo-4. We established that changes in the concentration of cytosolic Ca2+ in the cancer cells were proportional to the distance from the ATP-releasing β-cell. Additionally, we established that the relationship between distance and cytosolic calcium changes were dependent on Ca2+-release from the ER using 5-cell clusters composed of one β-cell, two untreated cancer cells and two cancer cells pretreated with Thapsigargin (to deplete the ER of Ca2+). These experiments show that the CAGE can be used to create exact cell clusters, which affords precise control for reductionist studies of cell-cell signalling and permits the formation of heterogenous cell models of specific tissue niches.
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Cai B, Ji TT, Wang N, Li XB, He RX, Liu W, Wang G, Zhao XZ, Wang L, Wang Z. A microfluidic platform utilizing anchored water-in-oil-in-water double emulsions to create a niche for analyzing single non-adherent cells. LAB ON A CHIP 2019; 19:422-431. [PMID: 30575843 DOI: 10.1039/c8lc01130c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Non-adherent cells play key roles in various biological processes. Studies on this type of cell, especially at single-cell resolution, help reveal molecular mechanisms underlying many biological and pathological processes. The emerging microfluidics technology has developed effective methods for analyzing cells. However, it remains challenging to treat and monitor single live non-adherent cells in an in situ, long-term, and real-time manner. Herein, a microfluidic platform was set up to generate and anchor cell-laden water-in-oil-in-water (W/O/W) double emulsions (DEs) to investigate these cells. Within the device, W/O/W DEs encapsulating non-adherent cells were generated through two adjacent flow-focusing structures and subsequently anchored in an array of microchambers. These droplets maintained the W/O/W structure and the anchorage status in the continuous perfusion fluid for at least one week. The mass transfer of different molecules with suitable molecular weights and partition coefficients between the interior and exterior of W/O/W DEs could be regulated by perfusion fluid flow rates. These features endow this platform with potential to continuously supply encapsulated non-adherent cells with nutrients or small-molecule stimuli/drugs through fluid perfusion. Meanwhile, the confinement of cells in the anchored DEs favored long-term monitoring of cellular dynamic behaviors and responses. As a proof of concept, fluorescein diacetate (FDA) was employed to visualize the cellular uptake and biochemical metabolism of TF-1 human erythroleukemia cells. We believe that this W/O/W DE anchorage and perfusion platform would benefit single-cell-level studies as well as small-molecule drug discovery requiring live non-adherent cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Cai
- Research Center for Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022, China.
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