Recent advancements in tissue dissociation techniques for cell manufacturing single-cell analysis and downstream processing

Tissue dissociation into single-cell suspensions is a critical technique for cell therapy manufacturing, single-cell analysis, and downstream processing. The process is traditionally carried out via enzymatic and mechanical dissociation of the tissue using standard laboratory techniques, but there have also been efforts made to translate these techniques onto microfluidic devices, as well as efforts into performing nonenzymatic digestion. Conventional methods face a number of challenges regarding viability, yield, long processing times, as well as the potential for the processing to create artifacts that can distort downstream analyses. In this review, we discuss the current state-of-the-art technology, go over advancements made in recent years to improve technologies and protocols related to tissue dissociation, and then consider the future of the technique, highlighting ways in which we envision it could be improved.