ILCS BASED PATTERN RECOGNITION OF SEPSIS
The present invention refers to a method for recognizing and/or characterizing cellular activity patterns, in particular for diagnostic purposes and/or for tracking the therapy of diseases. Blood cells are stimulated in a culture medium at least with toll-like receptor ligands (TLR ligands) and the stimulated blood cells and/or the culture medium are examined.
1 - 55 . (canceled)
56 . A method for the pre-clinical testing of an agent for a desired activity or lack of activity, comprising:
a) providing a cell culture system comprising mutually communicating first and second compartments, and further comprising a separation layer that is permeable to at least one substance secreted from a cell, wherein the first compartment comprises a syntopic culture of tissue cells and immune cells, and wherein the second compartment comprises a blood cell culture;
b) contacting the cell culture system with a candidate agent;
c) incubating the cell culture system in the presence of the candidate agent; and
d) analyzing cellular activity indicators.
wherein the cellular activity indicators are indicative of the presence or absence of a desired activity of the agent.
57 . The method of claim 56 , wherein the cell culture system is primed with a mediator or activator prior to contact with the candidate agent.
58 . The method of claim 56 , wherein the cells of the cell culture system are separated from the cell culture system prior to screening for cellular activity indicators.
59 . The method of claim 56 , wherein the immune cells comprise phagocytosing immune cells.
60 . The method of claim 59 , wherein the phagocytosing immune cells are monocytes or macrophages or both.
61 . The method of claim 56 , wherein the tissue cells comprise epithelial cells or epitheliod cells.
62 . The method of claim 61 , wherein the epithelial cells are lined around blood vessels.
63 . The method of claim 61 , wherein the epithelial cells are intestinal epithelial cells.
64 . The method of claim 56 , wherein the tissue cells comprise bronchial cells.
65 . The method of claim 56 , wherein the tissue cells comprise skin cells cells.
66 . The method of claim 56 , wherein the tissue cells comprise synovial cells.
67 . The method of claim 56 , wherein the tissue cells comprise chondrocytes.
68 . The method of claim 56 , wherein the tissue cells comprise human cells.
69 . The method of claim 56 , wherein the separation layer is permeable to a substance secreted from one or more cells in the culture.
70 . The method of claim 56 , wherein the separation layer comprises pores having a diameter of between about 0.1 to about 5 μm.
71 . The method of claim 70 , wherein the separation layer comprises pores having a diameter of between about 0.2 to about 0.45 μm.