Real time and label-free analysis of cellular activity on chip

Biochips for cellular applications are of considerable interest to both fundamental research and diagnostic fields. In this study, we demonstrate the use of Surface Plasmon Resonance imaging (SPRi) for the analysis of blood cell activity on biochip. This method previously used to detect antigen-antibody interactions was adapted for the detection of antibodies secreted from B-cell hybridoma using specific antigens grafted on the chip by electropolymerization. For the first time, living cells were maintained in culture on the biochip and the kinetic of their secretion was monitored by SPRi. Unlike traditional methods such as ELISA or ELISPOT, this novel technique permits a real-time and label-free analysis. As a result, antibodies secreted were detected only few minutes after the loading of cells on the chip. Thus, this sensor provides a promising tool for cells phenotype analysis and could be useful in analyzing other secreting cells, like T-cells, widely involved in the inflammatory response and several pathologies.