Method for characterising the deformability of cells or a portion of cells in a cell sample

A method for diagnosing a disease state in an individual, the method comprising at least the following steps:

• a) culturing a sample of a type of cells isolated from said individual, the cells of the sample comprising a body and a nucleus and being cultured on a microstructured plate having, at the surface, a plurality of microgrooves, at least part of the surface of the microgrooves being an adhesion surface for the cells, the microgrooves being of a predetermined width and depth so as to enable the at least partial engagement of the nucleus of at least one of said cells in one or more of the microgrooves,
• b) measuring, by microscopy, a fluorescence signal of the nuclei of the cells from the sample, the nuclei of the cells having been configured beforehand to emit fluorescence radiation,
• c) based on the fluorescence signal measured for each nucleus, determining a fluorescence intensity profile for each nucleus along at least one axis of said nucleus, and at least one corresponding morphological parameter of said nucleus,
• d) based on the fluorescence intensity profile and on at least one morphological parameter determined for each nucleus, determining a deformation class of said nucleus in the depth of one or more microgrooves,
• e) comparing at least one characteristic of at least one deformation class of the nuclei of the cells from the sample, obtained in step d), with the same characteristic for classes of a test sample, in order to reach a conclusion therefrom regarding the disease or non-disease state of the cells.

A method for screening a candidate compound for the treatment and/or prevention of a disease state, the method comprising at least the following steps:

• a) in vitro culture of a first sample of a cell type representative of a disease in the absence of the candidate compound,
• b) in vitro culture of a second sample of said cell type representative of said disease in the presence of the candidate compound,
• the cells of the first and second samples comprising a body and a nucleus and being cultured on a first and a second identical microstructured plate each having, at the surface, a plurality of microgrooves, at least part of the surface of the microgrooves being an adhesion surface for said cells, the microgrooves being of a predetermined width and depth so as to enable the at least partial engagement of the nucleus of at least one of said cells in one or more of the microgrooves,
• c) measuring, by microscopy, a fluorescence signal of the nuclei of the cells from the first and second samples, the nuclei of the cells from the first and second samples having been configured beforehand to emit fluorescence radiation,
• d) determining fluorescence intensity profiles along at least one axis of the nucleus, and at least one morphological parameter of the nucleus of each cell from the first and second samples, based on the respective measured fluorescence signals,
• e) determining deformation classes of the nucleus of each cell from the first and second samples in the direction of the depth of the microgrooves, based on the determined fluorescence intensity profile and on at least one determined morphological parameter, and
• f) comparing at least one characteristic of the first sample in at least one deformation class of the nuclei of the cells from the first sample with the same characteristic for the second sample, the observation of a difference between said characteristics of the first and second sample being indicative of the efficacy of the candidate compound with respect to said disease.