Toward a Droplet-Based Single-Cell Radiometric Assay.

Radiotracers are widely used to track molecular processes, both in vitro and in vivo, with high sensitivity and specificity. However, most radionuclide detection methods have spatial resolution inadequate for single-cell analysis. A few existing methods can extract single-cell information from radioactive decays, but the stochastic nature of the process precludes high-throughput measurement (and sorting) of single cells. In this work, we introduce a new concept for translating radioactive decays occurring stochastically within radiolabeled single-cells into an integrated, long-lasting fluorescence signal. Single cells are encapsulated in radiofluorogenic droplets containing molecular probes sensitive to byproducts of ionizing radiation (primarily reactive oxygen species, or ROS). Different probes were examined in bulk solutions, and dihydrorhodamine 123 (DHRh 123) was selected as the lead candidate due to its sensitivity and reproducibility. Fluorescence intensity of DHRh 123 in bulk increased at a rate of 54% per Gy of X-ray radiation and 15% per MBq/ml of 2-deoxy-2-[18F]-fluoro-d-glucose ([18F]FDG). Fluorescence imaging of microfluidic droplets showed the same linear response, but droplets were less sensitive overall than the bulk ROS sensor (detection limit of 3 Gy per droplet). Finally, droplets encapsulating radiolabeled cancer cells allowed, for the first time, the detection of [18F]FDG radiotracer uptake in single cells through fluorescence activation. With further improvements, we expect this technology to enable quantitative measurement and selective sorting of single cells based on the uptake of radiolabeled small molecules.

Droplet Microfluidic Platform for the Determination of Single-Cell Lactate Release.

Cancer cells release high levels of lactate that has been correlated to increased metastasis and tumor recurrence. Single-cell measurements of lactate release can identify malignant cells and help decipher metabolic cancer pathways. We present here a novel droplet microfluidic method that allows the fast and quantitative determination of lactate release in many single cells. Using passive forces, droplets encapsulated cells are positioned in an array. The single-cell lactate release rate is determined from the increase in droplet fluorescence as the lactate is enzymatically converted to a fluorescent product. The method is used to measure the cell-to-cell variance of lactate release in K562 leukemia and U87 glioblastoma cancer cell lines and under the chemical inhibition of lactate efflux. The technique can be used in the study of cancer biology, but more broadly in cell biology, to capture the full range of stochastic variations in glycolysis activity in heterogeneous cell populations in a repeatable and high-throughput manner.

Multiplexed Single-Cell Measurements of FDG Uptake and Lactate Release Using Droplet Microfluidics.

INTRODUCTION: Glucose utilization and lactate release are 2 important indicators of cancer metabolism. Most tumors consume glucose and release lactate at a higher rate than normal tissues due to enhanced aerobic glycolysis. However, these 2 indicators of metabolism have not previously been studied on a single-cell level, in the same cell. OBJECTIVE: To develop and characterize a novel droplet microfluidic device for multiplexed measurements of glucose uptake (via its analog 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose) and lactate release, in single live cells encapsulated in an array of water-in-oil droplets. RESULTS: Surprisingly, 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose uptake and lactate release were only marginally correlated at the single-cell level, even when assayed in a standard cell line (MDA-MB-231). While 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose-avid cells released substantial amounts of lactate, the reverse was not true, and many cells released high amounts of lactate without taking up 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose. DISCUSSION: These results confirm that cancer cells rely on multiple metabolic pathways in addition to aerobic glycolysis and that the use of these pathways is highly heterogeneous, even under controlled culture conditions. Clinically, the large cell-to-cell variability suggests that positron emission tomography measurements of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose uptake represent metabolic flux only in an aggregate sense, not for individual cancer cells within the tumor.