# Time-lapse Flow Cytometry for Kinetic Profiling of T-Cell Function

> **NIH NIH R44** · LASE INNOVATION INC. · 2024 · $837,126

## Abstract

Abstract
Despite progress in immunotherapies, there are significant challenges to overcome to make them
more broadly applicable to different cancers and more effective for patients. However, current
efforts to improve adoptive cell therapies and immune checkpoint blockade as well as cancer
vaccines are hampered by the lack of a method to characterize the functional and phenotypical
changes of different subpopulations of T cells over time at high throughput. The goal of this SBIR
Phase II project is to develop a novel flow-cytometry method that can solve this technological
bottleneck. The time-lapse flow cytometry uses laser particle (LP) barcodes to track each cell
across flow measurements taken at different time points. Built on demonstrated proof-of-concept
data, this project is focused on establishing a set of novel assays for characterizing T cells in
response to different stimuli in a time-resolved manner. The first specific aim is to demonstrate
short-term time-lapse assays to profile cytokine secretion (t-SEC). Secretion of TNF, IFNγ and
IL10 from millions of the same cells in response to different types of stimulation are measured at
multiple timepoints over 24 hours. The second specific aim is to demonstrate long-term time-lapse
assay to monitor phenotype (t-PHENO), including T-cell exhaustion over 10 days. The third
specific aim is to validate the t-SEC and t-PHENO assays with patient samples. The time-
resolved, high-throughput, high-parameter assays are expected to accelerate the development of
more effective and durable immunotherapies for cancer (>$100 B global market). Beyond
immunotherapy, time-lapse flow cytometry is also expected to be useful in fundamental
immunological research and vaccine development.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10920383
- **Project number:** 5R44CA281529-02
- **Recipient organization:** LASE INNOVATION INC.
- **Principal Investigator:** Sheldon J.J. Kwok
- **Activity code:** R44 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $837,126
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2023-09-05 → 2025-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10920383

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10920383, Time-lapse Flow Cytometry for Kinetic Profiling of T-Cell Function (5R44CA281529-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-27 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10920383. Licensed CC0.

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