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Updated: Jul 13, 2026
Label-Free Identification of Lymphocyte Subtypes Using Three-Dimensional Quantitative Phase Imaging and Machine Learning
Published on: November 19, 2018
Mechanistic insight into lymphocyte activation through quantitative imaging and theoretical modelling
Bebhinn Treanor1, Facundo D Batista
1Lymphocyte Interaction Laboratory, London Research Institute, Cancer Research UK, 44 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London WC2A 3PX, UK. bebhinn.treanor@cancer.org.uk
Insights
Quantitative single-cell analysis is crucial for understanding immunosurveillance. Advanced imaging techniques reveal protein dynamics in the immunological synapse (IS), aiding insights into immune recognition and cell signaling.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Cell Biology
- Biophysics
Background:
- Understanding immunosurveillance at cell-cell junctions requires single-cell resolution.
- The immunological synapse (IS) involves large-scale protein rearrangement during immune recognition.
- Previous studies have provided foundational insights into immune cell interactions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To highlight the necessity of quantitative single-cell analysis for studying immunosurveillance.
- To emphasize the role of advanced imaging in understanding the immunological synapse.
- To underscore the importance of theoretical modeling in interpreting complex immune cell signaling data.
Main Methods:
- Utilizing supported planar bilayers and geometrically designed substrates.
- Employing advanced imaging techniques like total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF) and Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET).
- Integrating quantitative data with theoretical modeling approaches.
Main Results:
- Visualisation of large-scale protein rearrangement within the immunological synapse.
- Gained insights into the spatio-temporal dynamics of receptor signaling.
- Demonstrated the role of receptor trafficking in regulating cell signaling.
Conclusions:
- Quantitative single-cell analysis is essential for deciphering complex immunosurveillance mechanisms.
- Advanced imaging and theoretical modeling are key to understanding lymphocyte activation and immune recognition.
Abstract:
Increasingly, it is apparent that in order to understand the complexity of immunosurveillance at the cell-cell junction, quantitative analysis at the single cell level is necessary. The visualisation of the large-scale rearrangement of proteins characterising what is known as the immunological synapse (IS) was an important discovery shaping our understanding of the events occurring during immune recognition. The use of supported planar bilayers and geometrically designed substrates combined with advanced imaging techniques such as total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF) and Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) has provided insight into the spatio-temporal dynamics of receptor signalling and the role of receptor trafficking in regulating cell signalling. Theoretical modelling will play a key role in the integration of such quantitative data providing mechanistic insight into lymphocyte activation.
