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Bioparticle Microarrays for Chemotactic and Molecular Analysis of Human Neutrophil Swarming in vitro
Published on: February 16, 2020
Ex Vivo Human Neutrophil Swarming Against Live Microbial Targets
1Center for Engineering in Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Shriners Hospital for Children, Boston, MA, USA.
Abstract:
Neutrophils often communicate with each other and coordinate their actions to seal off large sites of injury and infection that individual neutrophils could not cover. The concerted actions of neutrophils are essential for the expeditious protection of healthy tissues from wounds and microbes. These processes, collectively known as swarming, are typically studied in vivo in mice. However, these studies are low throughput and their relevance to human disease is limited. Recently, new tools have been developed for the study of human neutrophil swarming ex vivo. The emergent microscale swarming assays are providing significant insights into the molecular mediators of swarming. By enabling the direct study of human cells, these assays also shed new light on human diseases and host responses against infections. Here, we describe a robust technique for manufacturing microscale swarming arrays with live microbial targets (e.g., clusters of Candida albicans). These arrays allow for the direct, precise, and efficient interrogation of the antimicrobial functions of human swarming against a variety of targets.
Insights
Human neutrophils coordinate actions, known as swarming, to fight infections. New microscale assays allow precise study of human neutrophil swarming against microbial targets ex vivo.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Cellular Biology
- Microbiology
Background:
- Neutrophils are crucial immune cells that protect tissues from pathogens through coordinated actions called swarming.
- Traditional in vivo studies of neutrophil swarming in mice have limitations in throughput and direct relevance to human diseases.
- Emerging ex vivo microscale assays offer new avenues for studying human neutrophil swarming.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate a robust technique for manufacturing microscale swarming arrays with live microbial targets.
- To enable direct, precise, and efficient interrogation of human neutrophil antimicrobial functions during swarming ex vivo.
- To advance the understanding of human host responses against infections through the study of neutrophil swarming.
Main Methods:
- Development of a technique for manufacturing microscale swarming arrays.
- Incorporation of live microbial targets, such as Candida albicans clusters, within the arrays.
- Utilizing these arrays for ex vivo analysis of human neutrophil swarming responses.
Main Results:
- Successful manufacturing of microscale swarming arrays with live microbial targets.
- Demonstration of the arrays' capability for direct and efficient interrogation of human neutrophil swarming.
- These arrays facilitate precise analysis of antimicrobial functions against various targets.
Conclusions:
- The developed microscale swarming arrays provide a powerful tool for studying human neutrophil swarming ex vivo.
- This technique allows for detailed investigation of human immune responses against microbial infections.
- These assays hold significant potential for shedding light on human diseases and host-pathogen interactions.
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