Differential Phase Contrast Imaging to Predict MSC Immune Function.

Journal: Advanced healthcare materials
Published Date: Jul 2, 2025

Abstract

Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) exhibit significant immunomodulatory potential, making them promising candidates for cell-based therapies in autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. However, the heterogeneity of MSC cultures and a lack of robust, predictive potency assays have hindered their clinical translation. In this study, the potential of single-cell morphological imaging during MSC expansion is explored as a method to estimate indoleamine-2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) protein and enzyme activity, a common immunosuppressive capacity measure. Fluorescence and label-free quantitative differential phase contrast (qDPC) imaging is employed to non-invasively extract morphological features from live MSCs during biomanufacturing with machine learning (ML) regression models to predict single cell IDO activity. qDPC imaging characterization is extended to estimate a previously established consensus model of MSC potency based on their IDO activity and immune suppression on T cells. These findings establish a foundation for scalable, non-destructive monitoring of MSC immunomodulatory capacity, facilitating the future development of quality control strategies for MSC manufacturing and clinical applications.

Authors

  • Kejie Rui
    School of Chemical, Materials and Biomedical Engineering, Athens, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA.
  • Priyanka Priyadarshani
    School of Chemical, Materials and Biomedical Engineering, Athens, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA.
  • Adrian Ross Liversage
    School of Chemical, Materials and Biomedical Engineering, Athens, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA.
  • Carlos Munoz
    School of Chemical, Materials and Biomedical Engineering, Athens, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA.
  • Steven Stice
    Regenerative Bioscience Center, College of Agriculture and Environmental Science, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA.
  • Luke J Mortensen
    School of Chemical, Materials and Biomedical Engineering, Athens, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA.

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