TUMOR MICROENVIRONMENT

Interactions of cancer cells with their environment profoundly influences tumor progression, ultimately determining whether the primary tumor metastasizes, develops dormant micrometastases, or is eradicated. Thus, the tumor microenvironment (TME) profoundly shapes therapeutic responses and resistance. Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) possess the unique ability to recognize, attack and penetrate tumors. As such, mechanisms that unleash the power of TILs are under investigation as potential cancer treatments. For instance, mouse and human TILs are used in the preclinical studies of immunotherapeutic agents, while other human TILs are being developed and applied into novel immunooncology methods.

Hence, TIL isolation and further characterization are of key importance in assessing treatment efficacy in various tumor types. However, the downstream processing from TME encounters a common problem. Typically, after tissue dissociation and isolation, TILs share their samples with high amounts of debris and dead cells in solution, contaminants needing stringent washing for removal. Instead of subjecting these precious TILs to the high mechanical stress of centrifugation that further impact retention, Laminar Wash technology offers a gentle alternative that can improve yield and data quality, particularly of rare cell types in samples containing low initial cell counts.