Scientists identify activated immune cells with 94% accuracy in just 2 hours

A routine blood sample contains a surprisingly detailed record of what the immune system is doing. Scientists have now demonstrated a way to read some of that information without adding fluorescent dyes or other chemical labels. The approach examines the natural light emitted by molecules inside immune cells, allowing researchers to assess their metabolism at the single-cell level. In experiments, the technique helped distinguish activated immune cells from resting ones with nearly 94% accuracy just two hours after stimulation. According to the study published in Biophotonics Discovery, researchers used autofluorescence lifetime imaging to examine peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and assess their metabolic characteristics at the single-cell level. The technique relies on naturally occurring cellular fluorescence, allowing immune cells to be studied without the need for added fluorescent dyes.Reading cells without dyesScientists commonly use fluorescent antibodies and other labels to identify immune cells by looking for particular surface markers.