Use of moving optical gradient fields for analysis of apoptotic cellular responses in a chronic myeloid leukemia cell model.

To facilitate quantitation of cellular apoptotic responses to various antineoplastic agents, a laser-based technology, Optophoresis, has been developed to provide analysis of cells without any need for labeling or cell processing. Optophoresis is defined as the analysis of the motion of cells, where the motion is either induced or modified by a moving optical gradient field, which produces radiation pressure forces on the cells in an aqueous suspension. Quantitation of the induced motion provides a basis for distinguishing one population of cells from another. One Optophoretic technique, Fast Scan, measures the distribution of distances traversed by a population of cells when exposed to a fast-moving optical gradient. Fast Scan was validated using a cell-based model of chronic myeloid leukemia treated with Gleevec, a specific inhibitor of aberrant Bcr-Abl protein kinase. The Optophoretic measurements were quantitatively comparable to reference assays with regard to drug selectivity and potency and to target specificity, demonstrating the suitability of this technology for pharmaceutical and clinical applications.