title: Dynamic analysis of immune and cancer cell interactions at single cell level in microfluidic droplets.
abstract: Cell-cell communication mediates immune responses to physiological stimuli at local and systemic levels. Intercellular communication occurs via a direct contact between cells as well as by secretory contact-independent mechanisms. However, there are few existing methods that allow quantitative resolution of contact-dependent and independent cellular processes in a rapid, precisely controlled, and dynamic format. This study utilizes a high-throughput microfluidic droplet array platform to analyze cell-cell interaction and effector functions at single cell level. Controlled encapsulation of distinct heterotypic cell pairs was achieved in a single-step cell loading process. Dynamic analysis of dendritic cell (DC)-T cell interactions demonstrated marked heterogeneity in the type of contact and duration. Non-stimulated DCs and T cells interacted less frequently and more transiently while antigen and chemokine-loaded DCs and T cells depicted highly stable interactions in addition to transient and sequential contact. The effector function of CD8+T cells was assessed via cytolysis of multiple myeloma cell line. Variable cell conjugation periods and killing time were detected irrespective of the activation of T cells, although activated T cells delivered significantly higher cytotoxicity. T cell alloreactivity against the target cells was partially mediated by secretion of interferon gamma, which was abrogated by the addition of a neutralizing antibody. These results suggest that the droplet array-based microfluidic platform is a powerful technique for dynamic phenotypic screening and potentially applicable for evaluation of novel cell-based immunotherapeutic agents.
authors: Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Northeastern University , 360 Huntington Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA.
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Sarkar
authors: Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Northeastern University , 360 Huntington Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA.
authors: P
authors: P
authors: Sabhachandani
authors: Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School , Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA.
authors: D
authors: D
authors: Stroopinsky
authors: Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School , Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA.
authors: K
authors: K
authors: Palmer
authors: Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Northeastern University , 360 Huntington Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA.
authors: N
authors: N
authors: Cohen
authors: Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School , Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA.
authors: J
authors: J
authors: Rosenblatt
authors: Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School , Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA.
authors: D
authors: D
authors: Avigan
authors: Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Northeastern University , 360 Huntington Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA.
authors: T
authors: T
authors: Konry