Microfluidic mazes to characterize T-cell exploration patterns following activation in vitro

TY - JOUR

T1 - Microfluidic mazes to characterize T-cell exploration patterns following activation in vitro

AU - Jain, Namrata G.

AU - Wong, Elisabeth A.

AU - Aranyosi, Alexander J.

AU - Boneschansker, Leo

AU - Markmann, James F.

AU - Briscoe, David M.

AU - Irimia, Daniel

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © The Royal Society of Chemistry.

PY - 2015/11

Y1 - 2015/11

N2 - The migration of T-cell subsets within peripheral tissues is characteristic of inflammation and immunoregulation. In general, the lymphocyte migratory response is assumed directional and guided by local gradients of chemoattractants and/or chemorepellents. However, little is known about how cells explore their tissue environment, and whether lymphocyte activation may influence speed and exploratory patterns of migration. To probe migration patterns by T-cells we designed a microfluidic maze device that replicates critical features of a tissue-like microenvironment. We quantified the migration patterns of unstimulated and mitogen-activated human T-cells at single cell resolution and found significant differences in exploration within microfluidic mazes. While unstimulated lymphocytes migrated in a directed manner, activated T-cells migrated through large areas of the mazes in an exploratory pattern in response to the chemoattractants RANTES (CCL5) and IP-10 (CXCL10). The analysis of migration enabled by the microfluidic devices help develop new methods for determining how human circulating T-cells function in vivo to seek out antigens in health and disease states.

AB - The migration of T-cell subsets within peripheral tissues is characteristic of inflammation and immunoregulation. In general, the lymphocyte migratory response is assumed directional and guided by local gradients of chemoattractants and/or chemorepellents. However, little is known about how cells explore their tissue environment, and whether lymphocyte activation may influence speed and exploratory patterns of migration. To probe migration patterns by T-cells we designed a microfluidic maze device that replicates critical features of a tissue-like microenvironment. We quantified the migration patterns of unstimulated and mitogen-activated human T-cells at single cell resolution and found significant differences in exploration within microfluidic mazes. While unstimulated lymphocytes migrated in a directed manner, activated T-cells migrated through large areas of the mazes in an exploratory pattern in response to the chemoattractants RANTES (CCL5) and IP-10 (CXCL10). The analysis of migration enabled by the microfluidic devices help develop new methods for determining how human circulating T-cells function in vivo to seek out antigens in health and disease states.

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/84946398075

U2 - 10.1039/c5ib00146c

DO - 10.1039/c5ib00146c

M3 - Article

C2 - 26325525

SN - 1757-9694

VL - 7

SP - 1423

EP - 1431

JO - Integrative Biology (United Kingdom)

JF - Integrative Biology (United Kingdom)

IS - 11

ER -