High performance cell membrane perforation system for cell suspensions

Abstract

We found a unique cell membrane perforation method which is applying photochemical oxidation on a limited area of the cell membrane, with high survival rate. We recently developed an nano needle array cell membrane perforator which is containing photosensitizer for mass cell processing and a robotic processing system. However, There were problems that the perforating processing efficiency for floating cells was low and that the sequential processing could not be performed in the method. In order to apply the perforating method to a cell therapy, we should devise the system components which can perform sequential perforation processing. In this report, we developed core components of the process for cell suspensions. The components are membrane filter and its supporting block, to support the cells during the perforation process and to pass through the medium. We evaluated the system with a fluorochrome introduction to the cells. With the system, we could inject membrane impermeable fluorescent dye AlexaFluor594 to the floating rat PC12 cells. This reveals that our sequential cell processing concept is adequate. By combining some flow control system for feeding the cell suspension, the system will be developed as an automatic bed-side cell processing system for various cell therapies.