Groundbreaking Nanovial Technology Enhances Understanding of Cell-Cell Interactions

In an exciting revelation for the field of bioengineering, Professor Dino Di Carlo, Chair of Bioengineering at UCLA, presented a groundbreaking method utilizing Partillion's Nanovials at the Advances in Single Cell Spatial Biology 2025. The focus was on how this innovative technology can elucidate the dynamics of cell-cell communication.

Introducing Cell-Cell Seq

Di Carlo introduced a novel methodology known as Cell-Cell Seq, which employs Nanovials to isolate gene expressions induced by interactions between single-cell pairs. According to Di Carlo, traditional tools in cell biology focus mainly on identifying cell types and their locations, falling short in revealing the effects of interactions with other cells. He stated, "With Cell-Cell Seq, we are finally able to capture how cells affect each other over time by directly measuring the gene expression programs triggered through their physical proximity. This adds a crucial layer of understanding in immune responses, tissue remodeling, and disease progression."

Billion Cell × Cell Project

Building on the momentum created by these findings, Di Carlo announced the ambitious Billion Cell × Cell Project. This initiative aims to map out gene expression and functional responses arising from interactions across a billion cell-pair encounters. He extended an invitation to the scientific community to participate in this pioneering venture.

In this context, Di Carlo shared insights from experiments pairing prostate cancer cells with T cells in Nanovials. These studies revealed critical stress responses, cytokine activation, and varying tumor-killing dynamics. Such findings have significant implications for understanding immune evasion mechanisms and refining therapeutic strategies aimed at combatting cancer.

Anand G. Patel from St. Jude Children's Research Hospital commented on the potential impact of this research, stating, "Our lab is focused on understanding why pediatric cancers recur and how the tumor microenvironment contributes to this process. We need to study how cells interact to answer these crucial questions, so it's thrilling to see new tools emerging that can advance this work."

Collaborative Efforts

This pioneering research forms part of the broader initiatives undertaken by the Exploratory Cell Networks Consortium based in Los Angeles. The consortium is ambitious in its aim to develop a Human Interactome Atlas, which will serve as a global reference for cell-to-cell interactions. Partillion's Nanovials and Developer Kits are expected to play a vital role in enabling large-scale interaction profiling.

About Partillion Bioscience

Partillion Bioscience is at the forefront of functional cell analysis, leveraging its award-winning Nanovial technology. This innovative platform empowers pharmaceutical and biotech partners to accelerate the development of therapeutics by enabling the parallel screening of millions of live cells, capturing essential functional outputs including secretion, signaling, and activation.

Partillion’s groundbreaking technology has gained traction in leading scientific journals and has garnered prestigious awards such as the SLAS Innovation Award, the SLAS New Product Award, and the CYTO Innovation Technology Showcase Award. The company continues to pioneer advancements in the field of biomedical research, setting new standards for cell analysis and interaction studies.