Close Contacts Unlocked: Nanopore-Stabilized Microvilli Bypass T Cell Receptor–Ligand-Dependent T Cell Activation

-dependent interactions by EDTA, markedly impaired signaling, implicating extracellular calcium and membrane organization as key regulators of signaling. Together, these findings support a model in which ∼240 nm-sized nanopores promote stable close-contact patches that seed TCR signaling. Finally, we show that nanoporous stimulation combined with CD28 costimulation activates patient-derived T cells comparably to conventional methods, highlighting a strategy with translational potential for immunotherapy.