Field-Deployable Lens-Free Imaging Platform for Rapid Label-Free Analysis of Natural Killer Cell Activation

Area of Science:

• Immunology
• Biotechnology
• Medical Diagnostics

Background:

• Natural killer (NK) cells are crucial for innate immunity, targeting infected and malignant cells.
• Monitoring NK cell activity is vital for immune function assessment.
• Conventional methods like flow cytometry are time-consuming and labor-intensive.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce a novel, label-free technique for rapid NK cell activity analysis.
• To utilize lens-free shadow imaging technology (LSIT) for efficient immune profiling.
• To develop a cost-effective and fast method for assessing NK cell function.

Main Methods:

• Isolated NK cells were analyzed using LSIT within 5 minutes.
• LSIT captures holographic shadow images to monitor cell activation.
• Analysis of shadow parameters (PPD, WSM-SD) quantified morphological changes.

Main Results:

• Key parameters were integrated into the combined shadow parameter (CSP) and innate immunity index (I³).
• I³ directly measured NK cell activity, showing significantly higher values in healthy individuals.
• LSIT demonstrated a clear distinction between NK cells from healthy and immunocompromised individuals.

Conclusions:

• LSIT provides a fast, label-free, and quantitative method for assessing NK cell activity.
• The innate immunity index (I³) effectively reflects NK cell functional status.
• LSIT is a promising technology for point-of-care immune diagnostics.