Living cell-based allergen sensing using a high resolution two-dimensional surface plasmon resonance imager.

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Cell Biology
• Immunology

Background:

• Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) is established for monitoring mammalian cell stimulation.
• Two-dimensional SPR (2D-SPR) imaging provides 2D-images of local refractive index changes.
• The potential of 2D-SPR to visualize simultaneous individual cell responses was unexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the utility of a high-magnification 2D-SPR imaging system.
• To visualize the simultaneous allergenic responses of individual mammalian mast cells.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a high-magnification 2D-SPR imaging system.
• Employed rat basophilic leukemia (RBL-2H3) cells as a model mast cell.
• Pre-sensitized cells with anti-dinitrophenyl immunoglobulin E (anti-DNP IgE).
• Stimulated cells with varying concentrations of dinitrophenyl-bovine serum albumin (DNP-BSA).

Main Results:

• Successfully visualized the allergenic response of RBL-2H3 cells.
• Observed an increment in SPR signal (reflection intensity) upon DNP-BSA stimulation.
• Demonstrated the ability to monitor individual cell responses simultaneously.

Conclusions:

• The 2D-SPR imager system is effective for visualizing individual mammalian cell responses.
• This technique allows for simultaneous observation of cellular stimulation.
• 2D-SPR imaging offers a powerful tool for studying cell-based assays and allergic reactions.