Live Cell Interferometry for Tumor Immune Response Prediction

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current individualized immunotherapy for cancer treatment varies in effectiveness due to factors like inefficient tumor cell antigen presentation and immune cell responsiveness, necessitating a method to predict tumor responsiveness before treatment.

Innovation Solution

Live cell interferometry (LCI) analysis of tumor and immune cells to determine cell mass and interaction, predicting immune response by comparing cell masses and interactions, and applying immune stimulatory agents to modify treatment.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If individualized immunotherapy is tailored to target patient-specific neoepitopes, then treatment specificity is improved, but effectiveness varies due to inefficient antigen presentation and immune cell unresponsiveness

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetreatment specificityVSAvoideffectiveness
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by performing LCI analysis on tumor cells and immune competent cells before administering immunotherapeutic treatment. This pre-treatment assessment identifies immune-sensitive or immune-resistant tumor microenvironments in advance, allowing clinicians to predict treatment responsiveness and potentially adjust therapy strategies beforehand to improve effectiveness.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements feedback by using LCI-measured cell mass changes as a predictive indicator of treatment response. The system provides real-time feedback about the immune status of the tumor microenvironment, enabling dynamic adjustment of immunotherapy strategies based on measured cellular interactions and mass changes before full treatment begins.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

2Measurement precision

If LCI analysis is performed to predict immune response, then treatment prediction accuracy is improved, but the complexity of the assessment system increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprediction accuracyVSAvoidassessment system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces complex mechanical and molecular assays with optical measurement techniques. LCI uses optical interference patterns to non-invasively measure cell mass and detect cellular interactions, substituting complicated biochemical analysis with a more streamlined optical measurement system that maintains high prediction accuracy while reducing procedural complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The LCI system performs self-service by automatically measuring cell mass changes and generating predictions about treatment response without requiring extensive manual intervention. The system independently processes optical data, compares cell masses, and provides treatment predictions, reducing the burden on researchers and clinicians while maintaining measurement precision.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

Enables rapid prediction of immunotherapy effectiveness, allowing tailored treatment strategies and potentially avoiding harmful chemotherapy by identifying immune-sensitive or immune-resistant tumor microenvironments.

Implementation Method 1

Live cell interferometry (LCI) analysis of tumor and immune cells to determine cell mass and interaction

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectInterferometry: Interference

Data Source

PatentUS20250369959A1Live Cell Imaging Systems & Methods of Use
Publication Date: 2025.12.04 NANT HOLDINGS IP LLC

AI summary

Systems and methods for predicting an immune response against a tumor in a patient having the tumor are provided. The relative mass or changes of mass of tumor cells or immune cell in the tumor can be ex vivo observed, and an immune status of the tumor can be determined based on the mass of tumor cells or immune cell. The immune status can provide a guidance to predict the immune response against the tumor in the patient.