Evaluation of holographic imaging cytometer holomonitor M4® motility applications

Digital holographic cytometry (DHC) and other methods of quantitative phase imaging permit extended time-lapse imaging of mammalian cells in the absence of induced cellular toxicity. Manufactured DHC platforms equipped with semi-automated image acquisition, segmentation, and analysis software packages (or modules) for assessing cell behavior are now commercially available. When housed in mammalian cell incubators these cytometers offer the potential to monitor and quantify a range of cellular behaviors without disrupting routine culture. Realization of this potential requires validation against established standards. Two proprietary software modules for assessing cellular motility available using the HoloMonitor M4 DHC platform were evaluated on human melanoma cells lines with known relative motility and metastatic potential. One such software package, the Track Cells module, was run during routine culture. In addition, the Wound Healing module was conducted in parallel with established transwell migration and invasion assays. Each module was evaluated for reproducibility and correlation to established assays. Both software modules reliably recorded increased cellular motility in the metastatic 1205Lu line as compared with the non-metastatic WM793 line. In a direct comparison of the two propriety DHC software modules and two established transwell assays, the relative cell motilities were well correlated. The granularity of data provided by the Track Cells module permitted the additional identification of rare hyper-motile cells in the metastatic population and the distinction of motility from division associated displacement. The two HoloMonitor M4 DHC proprietary software modules for assessing cellular motility yielded reproducible results that were well-correlated with established standards. © 2018 International Society for Advancement of Cytometry.