Autofluorescence of metabolic cofactors illuminates helper T subtype identity

T lymphocytes play a vital role in immune response, and as a result, their dysregulation is linked to numerous disease states. Imbalances of helper T cell subsets often precede symptomatic disease, indicating their potential as marker for disease detection and monitoring. Two-photon optical metabolic imaging (2P-OMI) offers advantages over conventional assays, as it can assess cellular metabolism on a single-cell level in a label-free manner. Preliminary data suggests 2P-OMI can identify helper T subtypes based solely on autofluorescence intensity and lifetime imaging of metabolic co-factors, potentially enabling rapid screening of patient immune cells to improve diagnoses and prognoses.