Technique rapidly measures cells’ density, reflecting health and developmental state

MIT researchers have found a way to measure cell density quickly and accurately. The researchers also showed that density changes could be used to make valuable predictions, including whether immune cells such as T cells have become activated to kill tumors. As cells enter new states, their molecular contents, including lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids, can become more or less crowded. Measuring the density of a cell offers an indirect view of this crowding, the researchers say. The study was published in the journal Nature Biomedical Engineering. It was led by David H. Koch Professor of Engineering in the departments of Biological Engineering and Mechanical Engineering, and a member of the Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research. For confidential support call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 or visit http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/. For confidential. support on suicide matters call the Samaritans on 08457 90 90 90 or visit a local Samaritans branch or see www.samaritans.org.

Source: News.mit.edu  |  Read full article