Immune Synapse Detection via Surface Antigen Optical Signaling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for analyzing the immune system's response to stimuli are time-consuming and labor-intensive, requiring cytokine secretion measurement which takes tens of hours, and are not suitable for automated devices.
Innovation Solution
The method involves determining the ability to form an immune synapse in immune cells using surface antigens like costimulatory molecules as indices, even after the contact surface with the target cell has been eliminated, allowing for quick detection of immunostimulatory responses.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If cytokine secretion measurement method is used to analyze immune system response, then reliable immunostimulatory response detection is achieved, but measurement time becomes extremely long (tens of hours) and labor-intensive
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the immune synapse formation process from the traditional cytokine secretion measurement pathway. By detecting immune synapse formation as a separate, earlier event that occurs before cytokine secretion, the method isolates a faster measurable parameter that still reliably indicates immunostimulatory response, reducing measurement time from tens of hours to a fraction of that time while maintaining detection reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent detects immune synapse formation, which is a preliminary event that occurs before cytokine secretion. By measuring this early indicator of immune activation, the method captures the immunostimulatory response at an earlier stage, enabling rapid assessment without waiting for the slower cytokine secretion process to complete
2Reliability
If traditional cytokine secretion analysis is performed, then comprehensive immune response evaluation is achieved, but the process requires extensive culture time and manual intervention, making automation difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical/cultural process of long-term cell culture and manual cytokine detection with an optical detection system that measures immune synapse formation. This substitution enables automated, high-throughput measurement using flow cytometry or imaging systems, eliminating the need for extensive manual intervention and long culture periods while maintaining reliable immune response evaluation
3Speed
If immune synapse is used as measurement index, then measurement speed is improved (tens of minutes), but maintaining contact surface between immune cells and target cells increases device complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the detection of immune synapse-related molecules from the complex requirement of maintaining cell-cell contact surfaces. By detecting specific molecules (such as costimulatory molecules like CD28 or adhesion molecules) that are redistributed during immune synapse formation, the method measures synapse formation without requiring the maintenance of physical contact interfaces, thereby simplifying the device while preserving measurement speed
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses specific surface antigens and costimulatory molecules as intermediary markers to indicate immune synapse formation. Instead of directly observing the contact surface between immune cells and target cells, the method detects the presence and distribution of these intermediary molecules, which serve as proxies for synapse formation, thereby avoiding the complexity of maintaining and monitoring physical contact surfaces
Data Source
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AI summary
Disclosed is a method for measuring an immunostimulatory response of an immune cell, including (i) bringing a measurement target immune cell into contact with an immunostimulator, (ii) forming a contact surface with a substance different from the measurement target immune cell on the measurement target immune cell, (iii) bringing the measurement target immune cell into contact with a capturing body that binds to a surface antigen on the contact surface and is capable of generating an optical signal, (iv) detecting the optical signal generated from the capturing body, and (v) determining whether or not the measurement target immune cell from which the contact surface has been eliminated before detecting the optical signal has an immunostimulatory response, based on the detected optical signal.