Two-dimensional and three-dimensional viability measurements of adult stem cells with optical coherence phase microscopy

摘要

Cell viability assays are essential tools for cell biology. They assess healthy cells in a sample and enablenthe quantification of cellular responses to reagents of interest. Noninvasive and label-free assays are desirable inntwo-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) cell culture to facilitate time-course viability studies. Cellularnmicromotion, emanating from cell to substrate distance variations, has been demonstrated as a marker of cellnviability with electric cell-substrate impedance sensing (ECIS). In this study we investigated if optical coherencenphase microscopy (OCPM) was able to report phase fluctuations of adult stem cells in 2D and 3D that could benassociated with cellularmicromotion. An OCPM has been developed around a Thorlabs engine (λo = 930 nm) andnintegrated in an inverted microscope with a custom scanning head. Human adipose derived stem cells (ADSCs,nInvitrogen) were cultured in Mesenpro RS medium and seeded either on ECIS arrays, 2D cell culture dishes, ornin 3D highly porous microplotted polymeric scaffolds. ADSC micromotion was confirmed by ECIS analysis. Livenand fixed ADSCs were then investigated in 2D and 3D with OCPM. Significant differences were found in phasenfluctuations between the different conditions. This study indicated that OCPM could potentially assess cell vitalitynin 2D and in 3D microstructures.