Related Experiment Video

Updated: Dec 6, 2025

Cell-based Flow Cytometry Assay to Measure Cytotoxic Activity
10:14

Cell-based Flow Cytometry Assay to Measure Cytotoxic Activity

Published on: December 17, 2013

18.4K

Flow Cytometry Evaluation of Gap Junction-Mediated Intercellular Communication Between Cytotoxic T Cells and Target

Mariela Navarrete1,2, Flavio Salazar-Onfray1,2, Andrés Tittarelli3

  • 1Millennium Institute on Immunology and Immunotherapy, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile.

Methods in Molecular Biology (Clifton, N.J.)
|October 8, 2020
PubMed

Insights

This study introduces a flow cytometry method to assess gap junction communication between immune cells and melanoma. This technique helps understand how these junctions influence anti-tumor immune responses.

Area of Science:

  • Immunology
  • Cell Biology
  • Biophysics

Background:

  • Gap junctions (GJs) facilitate direct cell-to-cell communication via connexin channels.
  • GJs play a role in modulating immune responses, including anti-tumor immunity.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop a straightforward flow cytometry assay for evaluating antigen-dependent gap junction coupling.
  • To investigate cell-to-cell communication between cytotoxic T lymphocytes and melanoma cells in vitro.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized flow cytometry to detect GJ-mediated coupling.
  • Employed cytotoxic T cells and target melanoma cells in an in vitro system.
  • Focused on antigen-dependent interactions.

Main Results:

  • Successfully established a flow cytometry method for assessing GJ coupling.
  • Demonstrated the feasibility of testing GJ-mediated communication between immune and cancer cells.
  • Provided a quantitative approach to study GJ function in anti-tumor immunity.

Conclusions:

  • The developed method offers a simple and effective way to study gap junction coupling.
  • This assay can advance the understanding of GJ roles in anti-tumor immune responses.
  • Facilitates research into novel therapeutic strategies targeting cell communication in cancer.

Keywords:
Calcein transferCytotoxic T lymphocytesFlow cytometryGap junctionsImmunological synapseIntercellular communicationsMelanomaTumor cells

More Related Videos

Quantitative High-throughput Single-cell Cytotoxicity Assay For T Cells09:28

Quantitative High-throughput Single-cell Cytotoxicity Assay For T Cells

Published on: February 2, 2013

15.5K
Analysis of Human T Cell Activity in an Allogeneic Co-Culture Setting of Pre-Treated Tumor Cells09:04

Analysis of Human T Cell Activity in an Allogeneic Co-Culture Setting of Pre-Treated Tumor Cells

Published on: March 7, 2025

1.1K

Related Concept Videos

Flow Cytometry01:23

Flow Cytometry

The development of flow cytometry techniques began in 1934 with initial attempts by Andrew Moldavan, a bacteriologist who counted the cells in a flowing capillary system. Moldavan pumped cells through a capillary tube focused under a microscope for visualization. The invention of photometry allowed the measurement of differentially-stained cells, and Louis Kamentsky developed the first multiparameter flow cytometer in 1965 to identify and count the cancer cells in cervical tissue specimens.
In...
15.2K
Cytotoxic T Cells-mediated Immune Response01:27

Cytotoxic T Cells-mediated Immune Response

Cytotoxic T cells are a vital component of the immune system. They have the remarkable ability to identify and target antigens on infected or abnormal cells. These antigens often originate from intracellular pathogens such as viruses or abnormal proteins cancer cells produce.
Immunological surveillance is the ability of immune cells to monitor and eliminate infected cells with intracellular pathogens, neoplastically transformed cells, and cells with non-self antigens. Cytotoxic T cells and NK...
6.2K