Microfluidic System for Transplantation of Mitochondria in Immune Effector Cells
AssigneeNortheastern University
InventorsTania KONRY, Judene THOMAS, Augustin DE GANZÓ
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Abstract
Methods and systems are provided for analyzing the ability of immune cells to kill target cells based on the effectiveness of mitochondria of the immune cells. The systems and methods further can be used for transplanting healthy mitochondria into immune cells to increase their effectiveness against target cells. The methods described herein can be used in treatment of cancer, mitochondrial diseases, and certain metabolic diseases.
Claims23
A method for enhancing a function of an immune effector cell, the method comprising the steps of:
- (a) co-encapsulating a first immune effector cell with a first target cell in an aqueous microdroplet and encapsulating a second immune effector cell with a second target cell in another aqueous microdroplet using a microfluidic device;
- (b) incubating the co-encapsulated cells for a period of time in the microfluidic device and observing interaction between the immune effector cells and the target cells, wherein the first immune effector cell is observed to interact more effectively with the first target cell than the second immune effector cell interacts with the second target cell;
- (c) isolating the first immune effector cell and the second immune effector cell;
- and
- (d) extracting one or more mitochondria from the first immune effector cell and transplanting the extracted mitochondria into the second immune effector cell to obtain an immune transplant cell, whereby the immune transplant cell is more effective at interacting with target cells than the second immune effector cell.
A method for transplanting mitochondria into an immune effector cell, the method comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing (i) a microfluidic device configured for co-encapsulating cells in aqueous microdroplets in an oil stream, (ii) a suspension of immune effector cells, and (iii) a suspension of donor mitochondria;
- (b) producing a plurality of aqueous microdroplets from the suspension of immune effector cells and the suspension of mitochondria using the microfluidic device, wherein the plurality of aqueous microdroplets comprises microdroplets comprising both one or more effector cells and one or more donor mitochondria;
- (c) incubating the aqueous microdroplets, whereby donor mitochondria are taken up into immune effector cells to form immune transplant cells;
- and
- (d) collecting the immune transplant cells.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.