Diagnostic and therapeutic application of CTL and NK functionally selected cells

摘要

The invention proposes a novel therapeutic and diagnostic methodology based on the use of effector cells (for example CTL and NK cells) selected for being able to induce lysis in target cells. In particular, the invention teaches how to select strains of effector cells of the immune system according to their lytic properties. It also teaches how diagnostic procedures for checking the activity of therapeutic vaccines can be improved with respect to what shown. Finally, it shows how cell therapies used at present can be improved by using this approach.

主权项

1. Method for the isolation of immune system cells having cytolytic activity from a population of immune system cells previously collected from a human being, comprising the steps of: a) interacting the population of immune system cells with target cells by inducing the contact of a single cell from the population of immune system cells with a target cell, wherein the immune system cells having cytolytic activity are capable of inducing lysis in the target cells; b) identifying which target cells have undergone lysis; and c) selecting immune system cells having cytolytic activity by displacing on a single cell basis only those immune system cells that have induced said lysis of the target cells within 20 minutes of interacting the population of immune system cells with target cells; wherein said steps a), b), and c) are carried out by displacing single cells using a miniaturized device based on a dielectrophoresis-based array which allows real-time monitoring and manipulation of single immune system cells having cytolytic activity without altering the cytolytic activity of the immune system cells having cytolytic activity.