Cell paper on "Defining T Cell States Associated with Response to Checkpoint Immunotherapy in Melanoma" features AIM Biotech chips for Ex Vivo Immune Checkpoint Assays to Validate Key Discoveries

Sade-Feldman et al from the Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, the Broad Institute, the Dana Farber Cancer Institute and others demonstrated in the Cell paper that: 

• Single-cell RNA-seq reveals distinct CD45 + cells associated with clinical outcome 
• The balance between two CD8 + T cell states is linked with tumor regression 
• TCF7 +CD8 + T cell frequency in tumor tissue predicts response and better survival 
• Dual blockade of CD39 with different checkpoint proteins enhances immunity

​Ex vivo culture of murine-derived organotypic tumor spheroids (MDOTS) in AIM Biotech chips is able to recapitulate the immune checkpoint response.  These assays were used to validate the authors' discoveries by co-culturing the MDOTS with defined CD8+ T cell populations (CD39+/TIM3+, CD39-/TIM3- or mixed 1:1) (see figure 5D).