title: The intercell dynamics of T cells and dendritic cells in a lymph node-on-a-chip flow device.
abstract: T cells play a central role in immunity towards cancer and infectious diseases. T cell responses are initiated in the T cell zone of the lymph node (LN), where resident antigen-bearing dendritic cells (DCs) prime and activate antigen-specific T cells passing by. In the present study, we investigated the T cell : DC interaction in a microfluidic device to understand the intercellular dynamics and physiological conditions in the LN. We show random migration of antigen-specific T cells onto the antigen-presenting DC monolayer independent of the flow direction with a mean T cell : DC dwell time of 12.8 min and a mean velocity of 6 μm min(-1). Furthermore, we investigated the antigen specific vs. unspecific attachment and detachment of CD8(+) and CD4(+) T cells to DCs under varying shear stress. In our system, CD4(+) T cells showed long stable contacts with APCs, whereas CD8(+) T cells presented transient interactions with DCs. By varying the shear stress from 0.01 to 100 Dyn cm(-2), it was also evident that there was a much stronger attachment of antigen-specific than unspecific T cells to stationary DCs up to 1-12 Dyn cm(-2). The mechanical force of the cell : cell interaction associated with the pMHC-TCR match under controlled tangential shear force was estimated to be in the range of 0.25-4.8 nN. Finally, upon performing attachment & detachment tests, there was a steady accumulation of antigen specific CD8(+) T cells and CD4(+) T cells on DCs at low shear stresses, which were released at a stress of 12 Dyn cm(-2). This microphysiological model provides new possibilities to recreate a controlled mechanical force threshold of pMHC-TCR binding, allowing the investigation of intercellular signalling of immune synapses and therapeutic targets for immunotherapy.
authors: Department of Cancer Research and Molecular Medicine, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, 7489 Trondheim, Norway. oyvind.halaas@ntnu.no.
authors: Patrícia
authors: P
authors: Moura Rosa
authors: Nimi
authors: N
authors: Gopalakrishnan
authors: Hany
authors: H
authors: Ibrahim
authors: Markus
authors: M
authors: Haug
authors: Øyvind
authors: Ø
authors: Halaas
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002450:Cell Communication; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000166:cytology*; D056656:Lab-On-A-Chip Devices; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000276:immunology*; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D051379:Mice; D033081:Shear Strength; D013314:Stress, Mechanical; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology* / Q000276:immunology