Welcome to the July edition of the AI for Live Cell Insights Newsletter, bringing you to the latest live cell analyses powering drug discovery and cosmetics development. Each month, we will explore a new application of AI-based cellular analysis for label-free live cell imaging, with publication highlights and news from Nanolive. This month, we focus on the LIVE T Cell Assay, a comprehensive AI-based solution for profiling effector cell-tumor cell interactions and killing. We also highlight the broader impact of label-free cell analysis in the field, extending beyond immune and tumor cell behavior to metabolic changes in tumor cells using AI-driven lipid droplet analysis. Lastly, we will feature recent publications in the fields of metabolism, oncology and neuroscience in this edition.
Accelerate immunotherapy development with label-free data
While traditional in vitro assays often depend on fluorescent labels and provide only endpoint measurements, Nanolive’s technology transforms immune effector cell profiling by delivering dynamic, multiparametric data spanning activation, interactions and killing, without staining.
By combining label-free imaging, AI-powered analysis with the LIVE T Cell Assay, and timelapse data visualization in one seamless workflow, Nanolive’s fully automated solution simplifies and accelerates immunotherapy research.
Nanolive’s streamlined workflow for immunotherapy analysis
It delivers:
- Label-free imaging: Preserve natural cell behavior and eliminate adverse effects of staining
- Real-time functional insights: Monitor and quantify T cell activation, engagement and target cell killing, without missing a timepoint
- Automated data analysis: The AI-based LIVE T Cell Assay automatically analyzes T and target cell responses, increasing reproducibility and eliminating manual work
- Multiparametric results: Extract over 70 metrics for both T and target cells
- Streamlined workflow: Use one platform for image acquisition, analysis, and data visualization to reduce time from the experiment to decisions
Learn how to overcome the limitations of traditional assays and generate deeper, decision-ready insights. Download the Field Guide “Making The Right Call: Key Challenges In Preclinical Immunotherapy Assays & How To Overcome Them” now.
Real-life use cases for the LIVE T Cell Assay: Webinar on-demand
Did you miss our latest webinar?
Learn how the LIVE T Cell Assay can be integrated into your immunotherapy development workflows to evaluate efficacy, generate deeper functional insights and optimize candidate selection, featuring case studies with CAR-T cells and bispecific antibodies.
Watch the webinar now: “From Live Cells to Insights: Nanolive’s Next-Gen Immune Profiling Solution”!
From immune interactions to tumor cell metabolism
While the LIVE T Cell Assay delivers automated, label-free insights into T cell and target cell behavior, Nanolive’s core imaging platform is also powering discovery in broader immuno-oncology contexts.
In a recent study, Liu T. et al. used Nanolive’s 3D Cell Explorer 96focus and the Smart Lipid Droplet AssayLIVE to quantify lipid droplets in genetically engineered human ovarian cancer cells that lacking the ATG9A (Autophagy Related 9A) protein. Researchers quantified lipid droplet count, area, perimeter and the percentage of lipid droplet area per cell area, using Nanolive’s non-invasive imaging and AI-powered lipid droplet analysis. The study reveals how metabolic disruption in tumor cells enhances susceptibility to immune-mediated killing.
Access the full paper here.
Latest publication highlights with Nanolive imaging:
- Metabolism: Hwang, S. et al. (2025). Sphingolipid synthesis maintains nuclear membrane integrity and genome stability during cell division. Journal of Cell Biology, 224(8), e202407209. https://doi.org/10.1083/jcb.202407209
- Neuroscience: Castelli, V. et al. (2025). Mechanistic insights into the anti-aging effects of Crocus sativus in a D-Gal-induced in vitro neural senescence model. PLOS ONE, 20(7), e0320572. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0320572
- Oncology: Lee, K.T. et al. (2025). Synthetic oleanolic acid derivative, RTA‑408, overcomes resistance in TMZ‑resistant glioblastoma cells by inducing apoptosis and G1 cell cycle arrest. Medical Oncology, 42, Article 353. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12032-025-02875-2
- Drug discovery: Krautforst, K. et al. (2025). Caulerpin delivery via pluronic-free cubosomes: Unlocking the therapeutic potential of a pigment from an invasive marine algae. Molecular Pharmaceutics. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.molpharmaceut.5c00340
- Technology: Zhang, X.et (2025). SwinCell: a 3D transformer and flow-based framework for improved cell segmentation. Communications Biology, Article 962. https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-025-08397-x
Find over 300 publications featuring Nanolive imaging here.
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Webinar – CAR T cells live and up-close: Metabolic engineering for enhanced function
Nanolive hosted this event on "CAR T cells live and up-close: Metabolic engineering for enhanced function." In this webinar, presented by Dr Roddy O’Connor, Research Assistant Professor at University of Pennsylvania’s renowned Center for Cellular Immunotherapies and...
