Author:

Keywords:

Science & Technology, Physical Sciences, Technology, Chemistry, Multidisciplinary, Nanoscience & Nanotechnology, Materials Science, Multidisciplinary, Chemistry, Science & Technology - Other Topics, Materials Science, cancer therapy, cell characterization, cell detection, glycolytic oscillations, heat-transfer method, metabolic activity, spontaneous cell detachment, IMPRINTED POLYMERS SIPS, GLYCOLYTIC OSCILLATIONS, CANCER-CELLS, SURFACE, YEAST, ADHESION, POLARIZATION, SEPARATION, MIGRATION, STRESS, Animals, Eukaryotic Cells, Glycolysis, Mammals, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, 1S08821N#55263925

Abstract:

Despite the importance of cell characterization and identification for diagnostic and therapeutic applications, developing fast and label-free methods without (bio)-chemical markers or surface-engineered receptors remains challenging. Here, we exploit the natural cellular response to mild thermal stimuli and propose a label- and receptor-free method for fast and facile cell characterization. Cell suspensions in a dedicated sensor are exposed to a temperature gradient, which stimulates synchronized and spontaneous cell-detachment with sharply defined time-patterns, a phenomenon unknown from literature. These patterns depend on metabolic activity (controlled through temperature, nutrients, and drugs) and provide a library of cell-type-specific indicators, allowing to distinguish several yeast strains as well as cancer cells. Under specific conditions, synchronized glycolytic-type oscillations are observed during detachment of mammalian and yeast-cell ensembles, providing additional cell-specific signatures. These findings suggest potential applications for cell viability analysis and for assessing the collective response of cancer cells to drugs.