New Microfluidic Platform Tracks Real-Time Cancer-Immune Cell Interactions
Researchers have developed an advanced microfluidic chip platform, called CellTrap, that allows scientists to observe the interactions between individual live cancer cells and immune cells over extended periods. The system captures the exact timing and conditions of cell activation and killing using a standard fluorescence microscope.
Platform Design and Function
CellTrap is built around a microfluidic chip featuring a main channel that branches into 1024 small trapping chambers. Individual immune cells and cancer cells are drawn into these chambers, where they become spatially fixed.
The system can capture various configurations, including cancer cells alone, immune cells alone, or different ratios of immune cells to cancer cells.
Observations are conducted via time-lapse microscopy for up to 14 hours, and the entire platform operates on a standard fluorescence microscope, making it accessible to many laboratories.
Experimental Findings
In experiments using a glioblastoma cell line, researchers discovered that when multiple immune cells encounter a single cancer cell, the cancer cell is attacked more frequently and with greater intensity. Notably, early activation signals in the immune cells often preceded later cell-damaging effects.
Beyond glioblastoma, the CellTrap platform was successfully tested with chronic myeloid leukaemia and adenocarcinoma cell lines, demonstrating its versatility.
Capabilities and Applications
Ghulam Destgeer, Professor at TUM School of Computation, Information and Technology, emphasized the platform's key strengths:
"The platform can measure whether immune cells kill cancer cells and track when and under what conditions this occurs."
He noted that immune responses vary significantly from cell to cell, which is a critical feature of the system. The platform was deliberately designed to be simple and affordable, ensuring broad accessibility for researchers.
Importantly, the platform is not limited to immune and cancer cells. According to Destgeer, almost any cell combination can be loaded and observed, opening up a wide range of potential applications in cell biology and medical research.