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The migration of immune cells through the body is crucial for their role in fighting infections and detecting cancers. However, when immune cells end up in the wrong places, such as infiltrating tumors, it can lead to poor prognosis for patients. To prevent this, researchers from the University of Duisburg-Essen and Leibniz-Institut für Analytische Wissenschaften have developed a high-throughput microscope, named ComplexEye, for the analysis of immune cell migration.
Traditionally, migration analysis of cells was performed using conventional video microscopy, where a single camera objective observed the movement of cells under the microscope one sample at a time. However, the new ComplexEye microscope allows the simultaneous analysis of multiple samples, significantly increasing the speed of analysis. In fact, the researchers were able to analyze samples around 60 times faster than conventional video microscopy during their test runs.
The microscope was utilized to investigate the effects of various compounds on the migration of neutrophils, a type of white blood cell. Around 1,000 substances from a chemical library at the Lead Discovery Center in Dortmund were tested using ComplexEye, and the subsequent analysis was carried out by AI experts at ISAS who programmed customized software.
Within just four days, the researchers identified 17 substances that strongly influence the mobility of human neutrophils. While these findings have immediate scientific value, they also hold the potential for the development of novel therapeutic options. ComplexEye can be easily modified to analyze other cell types, allowing for monitoring of disease progression and early detection of worsening infections such as sepsis.
The development of ComplexEye was a collaborative effort between scientists from the Faculty of Medicine, the Department of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology at UDE, and ISAS in Dortmund. One of the main challenges was to create miniaturized microscopes that could be moved and tightly assembled into a single system capable of recording videos from all 384 chambers of a well plate simultaneously.
Dr. Reinhard Viga, from the Electronic Components and Circuits division at UDE, oversaw the technical construction of the microscope. The ComplexEye system, resembling the compound eye of a fly, moves beneath the well plate and captures images using all its lenses every eight seconds. These images are then combined to create time-lapse sequences, and individual migrating cells are tracked using AI.
In the future, ComplexEye will be enhanced to include additional lenses, enabling the capture of even more images. The researchers are optimistic that this innovative technology will not only advance our understanding of immune cell migration but also pave the way for new therapeutic strategies in various diseases.
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1. Source: Coherent Market Insights, Public sources, Desk research
2. We have leveraged AI tools to mine information and compile it
Money Singh is a seasoned content writer with over four years of experience in the market research sector. Her expertise spans various industries, including food and beverages, biotechnology, chemical and materials, defense and aerospace, consumer goods, etc.
