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Cell sorting
| Starting sample may range from one to hundreds of thousands of cells
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The Silicon Biosystems technology platform works with samples of a few microliters and analyzes solutions containg from 1 to 100,000 cells.
The chip generates on its surface a programmable non-uniform electric field which allows hundreds of thousands of dielectrophoretic cages to be created. The cells are trapped in such cages and can be moved simultaneously under software control. A digital camera coupled to a microscope is used to identify the cells of interest (e.g. through fluorescence or cell morphology). The isolated and recovered cells maintain cell viability and can be used for downstream analysis with other equipment.
Rare cellsThis approach is relevant to the manipulation of rare cells, wherever it is desired to select and recover a small number of cells expressing specific receptors detected by fluorescent markers. It is possible to select and sort one cell out of 100,000. Easier recovery of rare fetal cells from maternal blood in prenatal diagnosis could be a routine prenatal non-invasive procedure instead of amniocentesis or chorionic villus sampling. It is possible to perform clone picking and isolation of tumor stem cells. By isolating tumor stem cells and studying their interaction with other cell populations within the tumor mass one can characterize tumor stem cells, define their molecular profiles, detect pre-malignant lesions and target new therapies.
By using Silicon Biosystems technology platforms, it is possible to analyze small biopsies (for example from fine needle aspirates). One key feature is the possibility to analyze samples containing from 1 to 100,000 cells with a very high resolution, utilizing very small cell tissues as starting samples.
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Cell cell interaction
| It is possible to determine the interactions between different types of cells.
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The Silicon Biosystems technology platform works with samples of a few microliters and analyzes solutions containing from 1 to 100,000 cells. One feature of the device is to induce specific cell-cell interaction by merging in the same DEPcages several cages . Such experiments are useful in order to determine the cell lysis mechanism induced by cytotoxic cells. It is possible to induce interactions between target cells and effective cells (with cytotoxic activity) and to study, in case of specific interactions, the releasing of an intracellular labelling of the target cells
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Cell targeting
| It is possible to perform studies on receptor-ligand interaction and to deliver drugs in the form of lipospheres or DNA on µbeads to individual cells with sharp control over amounts and timing.
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The Silicon Biosystems technology platform works with samples of a few microliters and analyzes solutions containing from 1 to 100,000 cells. By this device it is possible to move beads or liposomes and cells to order to obtain an interaction between the target cells and beads/liposomes. It is possible to study receptor-ligand interaction, using functionalized beads and target cells, and to study receptors and their peculiarities. It is possible to make drug delivery investigation easier and faster. Tiny amounts of drugs are encapsulated in liposomes, so that a controlled quantity of drug interacts with the target cell. Real time effects can be observed.
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 related contents |
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platform: DEParray, SmartSlide |
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images:
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"Home made” microbeads with a K562 cell |
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Efficiency of sphere-shaped DEP cages in causing cell-microsphere contacts. |
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Bead dispersion upon cage inactivation |
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references:
Dielectrophoresis-based “lab-on-a-chip” devices for programmable binding of microspheres to target cells.
Int J Oncol. 2005 Dec; 27(6):1559-66.
Borgatti M et al.
A dielectrophoretic microchip for controlled cell targeting with functionalized
microspheres
NanoBioTechnology, vol 1, n 3, Sep 2005, p257-259
Abonnenc et
al.
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