Advanced application of CFSE for cellular tracking.

This unit proposes a method to extend the already well known dividing-cell-tracking (DCT) cytometric technique based on supravital staining of the lymphocytes with CFSE and allowing them to divide afterwards, beyond simple observation and counting of dividing cells and their generations. Dynamic proliferation parameters that make it possible to determine for in vitro dividing human lymphocytes from various sources, are the actual duration of the pre-division transition period (G0-->G1), time of a single division, and number of divisions an average dividing cell performs over the time of an experiment, as well as the number of effective precursors giving rise to viable daughter lymphocytes. As the method does not require purification of the lymphocyte population of interest, yet allows the calculations for any cytometrically discernible subpopulation, it presents a powerful tool for detailed analysis of the efficiency of proliferative response of the immune cells.