title: Live single cell functional phenotyping in droplet nano-liter reactors.
abstract: While single cell heterogeneity is present in all biological systems, most studies cannot address it due to technical limitations. Here we describe a nano-liter droplet microfluidic-based approach for stimulation and monitoring of surface and secreted markers of live single immune dendritic cells (DCs) as well as monitoring the live T cell/DC interaction. This nano-liter in vivo simulating microenvironment allows delivering various stimuli reagents to each cell and appropriate gas exchanges which are necessary to ensure functionality and viability of encapsulated cells. Labeling bioassay and microsphere sensors were integrated into nano-liter reaction volume of the droplet to monitor live single cell surface markers and secretion analysis in the time-dependent fashion. Thus live cell stimulation, secretion and surface monitoring can be obtained simultaneously in distinct microenvironment, which previously was possible using complicated and multi-step in vitro and in vivo live-cell microscopy, together with immunological studies of the outcome secretion of cellular function.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences School of Pharmacy Bouvé College of Health Sciences, Northeastern University, 140 The Fenway, Room 156, 360 Huntington Avenue Boston, Massachusetts 02115.
authors.forename: Tania
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Konry
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Golberg
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yarmush
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D051940:B7-2 Antigen / Q000378:metabolism; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells / Q000166:cytology; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D016130:Immunophenotyping / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D046210:Microfluidic Analytical Techniques; D036103:Nanotechnology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D051940:B7-2 Antigen; D015850:Interleukin-6