Polyfunctional T cells, which produce multiple cytokines, are considered to be the most potent anti-tumor effector T cells. To find polyfunctional T cells in a heterogeneous sample, researchers must be able to characterize functional cytokine secretion and cytotoxicity at the single-cell level. However, most existing methods evaluate samples in bulk and are destructive endpoint assays, preventing direct correlation of cytokine secretion with cytotoxicity or multi- omic profiling.
With the Bruker Cellular Analysis Optofluidic Platforms, along with OptoSelect® chips that contain thousands of NanoPen® chambers, single T cells are sorted and isolated in these chambers using opto-electropositioning (OEP®). After loading, a variety of assays can be performed to profile single T cells. Analysis using intuitive software is then performed to identify cells with phenotypes of interest, and guide recovery of the same cells for downstream assays enabling researchers to gain a deeper understanding of the underlying biology by:
- Investigating genetic drivers associated with polyfunctional T cells;
- Identifying desirable phenomes by correlating polyfunctionality with cytotoxicity; and
- Linking desirable phenotypes to gene sequences of the same cells.
Correlating Polyfunctionality with Cytotoxicity via Comprehensive Profiling and Recovery of Single T Cells
The Opto T Cell Profiling workflow enables researchers to directly link single-cell phenotype and function to gene expression, performed across thousands of individual T Cells in a matter of days. After characterization, the cells of interest can be exported for expansion or further study through a gentle sorting process that does not require media exchange which minimizes sorter induced cell stress. The multiplexed T cell assay allows simultaneous functional interrogation of T cells as they interact with target cells, revealing insights into the heterogenous mechanisms that regulate cytokine secretion.
A first of its kind, the Opto T Cell Profiling workflow accelerates insights that enable the creation of better therapeutics, revealing the functional significance within each single cell. As it only takes one cell to unlock the potential of the next powerful therapeutic, Bruker Cellular Analysis breakthrough Opto T Cell Profiling workflow helps researchers around the world to develop a deeper understanding of T cell biology and advance the next generation of premiere therapeutics.
Get in touch with one of our experts to learn how to leverage the phenome across your discovery and development programs, or view the T Cell Profiling Workflow page to learn more.