23
February
2018
|
07:00 AM
America/New_York

New device for low-cost single-cell analysis identifies fibroblast subtypes in rheumatoid arthritis patients

In collaboration the New York Genome Center (NYGC) and New York University (NYU), HSS researchers used a 3D-printed microfluidic controller to study single cell analysis from patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), Science Daily reports.

Single cell analysis could potentially study how individual cells influence disease and respond to treatment, but there is currently a lack of user-friendly and cost-effective tools for researchers.

HSS clinicians used the controller to obtain patient samples on-site and immediately after surgery from RA patients.

Laura Donlin, PhD, co-director of the Derfner Foundation Precision Medicine Laboratory at HSS, said "roughly an hour after surgical excision, individual cells from patient tissues were labeled for single-cell sequencing. From this work, we have classified unrecognized fibroblast subtypes that may prove to be important drug targets for our RA patients."

According to the article, the researchers hope that the instrument will lower the hurdles associated with single cell analysis in basic research and clinical settings.

Read the full article at sciencedaily.com

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