US scientists have developed a new type of cell fusion

Keywords: United States new cell fusion

[/]: United States MIT scientists developed an efficient new way to pair the cells so that they blend together into a hybrid cell. This new technology will allow scientists to better study of cells combined with what occurs, such as fusion mature cells and embryonic stem cell research which genetic reprogramming occurs. Related articles on 4 January online published methodological nature — (Nature Methods).

This simple but ingenious sorting means that the success rate of cell fusion from 10% to about 50%, and allows thousands of cells pairing together.

Joel Voldman, associate professor at the Massachusetts Institute of technology, said that despite the emergence of cell fusion technology has been a long time, but there are many technical limitations. In fusion cells before the correct cell mate, is one of the main difficulties. If researchers work and two cell types, such as A and B, then the final addition to the need of the AB pair, you will get a lot of AA and BB such matching.

The previous method is in the cell by a chip, the cells capture in a miniature Cup. Each cup can only accommodate 2 cells, but there is no way to control these two cells is A and B, A and A, or b, and B.

By contrast, the research team developed a new sorting system can guarantee that captures and matching of different kinds of cells. First, A type of cell from one direction through the chip, and is captured in a can only accommodate a cell's container. Once the cell has been captured, the liquid will start from the opposite direction of the flow through the chip, will accommodate only a cell from the cells of the small cup, into opposite a larger Cup.

Once each mug is an A-type cells, B-cells are flowed into the mug. Since each cup can only accommodate 2 cells, the last Cup is A type of cell 1 a and 1 B-cells. When a cell in the Cup match, you can use electrical pulse fusion membrane so that two cells together.

In addition to contribute to the study of stem cell reprogramming, this technology can also be used to study any type of interaction between cells. Voldman said: "this is a versatile device. ”