PhD Student Tsukuba University, China (People's Republic)
Abstract: Immunotherapy for cancer, especially solid tumors, has made great strides, but challenges remain, particularly in T-cell infiltration and tumor-specific killing. Improvement of T cell-mediated immunity is essential to enhance therapeutic efficacy. In this study, we developed a unique functional sorting approach using microfluidic devices with the aim of developing next-generation immuno-cell therapies with enhanced tumor infiltration and continuous killing capacity. This method allowed sorting immune cells according to their ability to migrate against target cells. In fact, when the sorted cell populations were evaluated in in vitro cytotoxicity analysis, it was possible to enrich the populations with significantly enhanced killing activity. In the future, this study aims to use these cell populations as tools to identify and optimize the genes and pathways that define or generate these populations, thereby enhancing the functionality of T cells in solid tumor immunotherapy. This research will contribute to the advancement of cellular therapies and provide new opportunities for more effective treatment of patients with solid tumors.
Funding Source: Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) Scholarship
