Summary:
UCLA researchers in the Department of Bioengineering have developed a platform to sort single cells based on their secreted product at high throughput using commonly accessible lab infrastructure, i.e., flow cytometers.
Background:
Techniques to sort single cells based on secreted products have the potential to accelerate the development of next generation cell and antibody therapies. Screening cells based on their produced secreted products, can allow for the identification of cells that generate useful monoclonal antibodies or have desired functionalities. Typically, cells are sorted via flow cytometer using fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACS). FACS can rapidly scan and identify cells but are limited in screening non-functional parameters such as proteins found on cellular surfaces. Alternative technologies to capture and bind secreted products directly from the cell surface can be used to identify cellular secretions, but suffer from crosstalk between the various cells and require expensive equipment to perform the assays. There is a need for a novel platform that can easily identify cells that secrete specific cellular products while still maintaining the ease of single cell sorting at low cost.
Innovation:
UCLA inventors have developed a method that can selectively screen single cells based on secreted products at high throughput. This technique can be utilized with current flow cytometer instruments allowing for the rapid and inexpensive screening of cells. Furthermore, because it directly identifies secretions, it does not require non-functional markers or complex secondary binders needing to be expressed. The method has demonstrated that cells sorted via this technique maintain high viability over a 24-hour period allowing for cellular expansion after being sorted. This method also isolates cells preventing cross-talk between cells, which can cause misidentification.
Potential Applications:
- Cell sorting
- Cell based diagnostics
- Cell based disease treatments
- Hybridoma screening
Advantages:
- High throughput
- High efficiency
- Cell protecting during the process
- Single cell sorting
- Easy implementation
Development to Date:
First successful demonstration of the invention has been accomplished.