The team has set up a novel experimental system of tissue slices which, combined to dynamic imaging, enables the visualization and tracking of T cells in murine and human tissues, including tumors.
The tumor slice assay for monitoring T cell activities by video fluorescence microscopy in a preserved tumor microenvironment. Fluorescently labeled T cells are plated onto thick slices prepared from a human tumor biopsy. The localization, migration and activation of the plated T cells are then evaluated.
This approach offers a number of possibilities:
- Evaluating the effects of novel immunotherapy
- Screening for therapeutic molecules able to restore T cell migration within tumors
- Monitoring the efficacy of CAR T cells and improving their therapeutic value
- Testing the toxicity of immunotherapy