DEVICE FOR CELL CULTURE AND ANALYSIS

The present invention relates to a device for cell culture and analysis.

It is known to use flasks for cell culture to allow cell growth in vitro.

In particular, these flasks have a substantially parallelepipedal shape and are provided, on a face having a smaller surface with a tubular neck defining an opening adapted to be sealingly closed by a cap.

The flask internally defines a parallelepipedal culture chamber. A culture medium is placed in the chamber by introduction through the neck; the cells are then seeded on this culture medium.

In particular, the culture medium is normally placed on an inner face of the culture chamber that has a larger surface.

To promote cell adhesion, the inner face of the culture chamber is treated, by means of known methods, to produce an electrostatically positively charged or negatively charged surface.

After seeding the cells, the sealed flask is maintained in a controlled temperature environment to promote cell growth.

In many cases, once a cell population is obtained, the presence of a specific group of proteins must be determined on the cell in order to characterise the cell type or determine the biological effect thereof.

Protein expression is nowadays normally tested by immunofluorescence or immunohistochemistry. However, these methods are not suitable for the screening of many proteins in a high number of samples (high-throughput screening, HTP) both for the large amount of cells required, and due to the time- and material-consuming and expensive procedures. For example, up to now, the number of minimum starting cells for each single support (glass or flask) is about 50.000 units; the markers that may be characterised on the same support are normally less than 5 and the times are long, as the protocols are not automated.

The need is therefore felt in the field for a device that allows to apply immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence techniques even to high-throughput screening.

In particular, the need is felt in the field to provide a device that makes lab tests simpler for characterising primary cell lines and stem cells after protocols for differentiation of neoplastic populations, of immunophenotypic alterations, as well as for identifying new drugs and evaluating their biological effect.

It is the object of the present invention to provide a cell growth device which allows to satisfy in a simple and cost-effective manner one of the above said needs.

This object is achieved by the present invention, as it relates to a cell culture and cell analysis device according to claim 1 and a method for cell analysis according to claim 11.

FIGS. 1 and 2 indicate with numeral 1 as a whole a cell culture and analysis device. In the case shown, the cell growth device is a flask for cell culture.

Flask 1 comprises a first containing element 2 and a second containing element 3 sealingly couplable to one another to define a culture chamber 4 (in FIG. 1 elements 2 and 3 are represented coupled while in FIG. 2 elements 2 and 3 are represented as separate).

First element 2 comprises a bottom wall 5 having a substantially rectangular flat shape integral with side walls 6 which extend along peripheral edges of the bottom wall 5 and are transversal to the bottom wall 5. In the figures, side walls 6 are shown arranged perpendicularly with respect to bottom wall 5.

In particular, a cylindrical tubular appendix 9 extends integrally from a central portion 7 of a side wall 6 having, in the embodiment shown, a smaller surface.

Tubular appendix 9 extends outwards from device 1 and defines a circular opening 8 to allow the communication with the outside of culture chamber 4, for example to introduce/replace the culture medium.

Tubular appendix 9 may be closed by removable sealing means 10, for example a cap which is screwed/unscrewed on the end portion of tubular appendix 9 which for this purpose is provided with helicoidal ribs.

Second element 3 has a substantially flat rectangular configuration and is provided with peripheral edges 13 adapted to sealingly couple with corresponding peripheral edges 14 of side walls 6.

In use, second element 3 forms a wall of flask 1 arranged spatially in a facing position opposite to bottom wall 5.

Second rectangular flat element 3 may have dimensions substantially corresponding to that of bottom wall 5 as shown in FIG. 1 or 2 or may have at least one dimension greater than the corresponding dimension of bottom wall 5. In FIG. 3, for example, the larger side of second rectangular element 3 has a longer length with respect to the length of the corresponding side of bottom wall 5 so as to provide a rectangular flat flange 15 that projects with respect to first element 2.

Advantageously, the embodiment shown in FIG. 3 makes the assembly/disassembly of device 1 easier also for more conveniently handling the cell sample. Furthermore, flange 15 can carry identification elements, for example a label, to simplify the identification of the sample.

First element 2 and second element 3 can be sealingly coupled by means of snap coupling means 12, for example a peripheral groove made on the inner surface of second element 3 adapted to house at least the end portion of side walls 6 of first element 2, or alternatively a peripheral projection on the inner surface of second element 3 that abuts with side walls 6 of first element 2. Alternatively the sealing coupling between first element 2 and second element 3 can be made by ultrasound welding and/or glues. Coupling means 12 are such as to maintain the impermeability of the flask to the outside environment in use, although they can be manually forced to allow the operation of first element 2 and of second element 3 and therefore the opening of flask 1 making the rinsing and possibly a second use easier.

First element 2 and second element 3 are made of a rigid and transparent material such as for example polystyrene, polycarbonate or glass.

Flask 1 further comprises a flexible film 11 housable within culture chamber 4 and available on the inner surface of second rectangular flat element 3 or alternatively on the inner surface of bottom wall 5 of first element 2. In the embodiment of the figures, film 11 has a rectangular perimeter.

This flexible film 11 is treated by means of known methods to obtain an electrostatically positive or negative charged surface to provide cell growth. It is made of a transparent material, preferably selected from the group consisting of polycarbonate, polystyrene and polyethylene, to allow its use for example in microscope analysis. Furthermore, the flexibility of the material advantageously allows to roll and fold film 11 for subsequent immunofluorescence or immunohistochemistry analysis. As shown in FIG. 4a, flexible film 11 may also be provided with winding means 16 to allow the winding of film 11 on itself. In particular, winding means 16 consist of a cylindrical thickening that can have a hollow section made of the same material of film 11 (or of another material compatible with microtome and/or cryostat cutting) within which a stick adapted to aid the winding of the film on itself can for example be inserted. The cylindrical thickening may alternatively be provided at each of its ends with an end portion 21 projecting with respect to flexible film 11 and mobile between a first position folded over the thickening and a second extended position in which it aids the winding of flexible film 11 on itself, as shown in FIG. 4b.

In use, flexible film 11 is fixed on second element 3, for example by means of an adhesive. Subsequently, second element 3 is coupled to first element 2 so as to arrange flexible film 11 within chamber 4 and allow the laying and cell growth on flexible film 11.

Alternatively, flexible film 11 can be fixed interposing it between first element 2 and second element 3, coupling means 12 of which retain a peripheral portion of flexible film 11.

Advantageously, after the cell culture cycle has been completed or the fresh sample has been laid, flexible film 11 carrying the cells is easily and rapidly removed from culture chamber 4 as the uncoupling of elements 2, 3 is simple and fast and uncoupled second element 3 forms a support for flexible film 11.

Thereby, flexible film 11 can be subjected directly to biological analyses such as immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence. Flexible film 11 is also compatible with other standard hybridisation techniques such as FISH and in situ hybridisation. Finally, the cells on flexible film 11 can be fixed with formaldehyde or paraformaldehyde, can be included in paraffin and analysed directly using HTS systems to identify the expression profile of the cells.

FIGS. 5 and 6 show two possible embodiments of the method according to the invention, in particular, they show two methods for using film 11 once removed from flask 1, in order to characterise the protein alterations of the cells grown in the flask.

In FIG. 5, film 11 carrying the adhering cells is fixed by known methods. As shown in FIG. 5b, film 11 is then wound on itself by means of winding means 16 to obtain a cylinder 17 (FIG. 5c). Cylinder 17 obtained thereby, is inserted vertically within a paraffin block 18 in which a cavity 19 has been created having dimensions substantially corresponding to those of cylinder 17. Paraffin block 18 including cylinder 17 can be treated the same way as a biological tissue and therefore can be cut in thin slices 20, as shown in FIG. 5d. The characterisation by IHC or IF on these slices 20 can be performed for example manually or by automatic robot processing. Several slices 20 can also be generated from each single cylinder 17. A single IHC or IF analysis can be performed on each slice.

Similarly to what has been disclosed for FIG. 5, FIG. 6 shows a possible use of the invention to carry out the comparison of a same treatment on different cells or alternatively evaluate the effect of different treatments on a same cell sample. Similarly to what has been disclosed for FIG. 5, cylinders 17 obtained from different flasks 1 are introduced in a single paraffin block 18 in which several cavities 19 have been created corresponding to the number of cylinders 17 to be analysed and having dimensions substantially corresponding thereto. Cavities 19 are preferably arranged according to a matrix structure. Figure highlights how multiple cylinders 17 deriving from different flasks 1 can be included in a single paraffin block 18 in order to optimize at best times and costs of the IHC and/or IF reactions.

Finally, it is clear that modifications and variants not departing from the scope of protection of the independent claims can be made to the disclosed and shown system.