One of the key benefits of our in vitro Immuno-Oncology Immune Cell Infiltration assay is its ability to create 3D cell culture models that are more biologically relevant and allow for proper assessment of immunotherapies designed to promote immune cell response to tumor cells. Traditional 2D cell culture models have limitations in terms of their ability to mimic the complex interactions between cells that occur in vivo. By contrast, 3D cell culture models can more accurately replicate the in vivo tumor microenvironment, allowing for more accurate assessment of the efficacy of immunotherapies.
The assay involves monitoring the interaction of therapeutic with immune cells in a 2D or 3D assay format. The protocol involves using 3D cell models, grown to approximately 200 μm in diameter, and seeding PBMCs at 4000 cells/well. The markers used for analysis include DAPI (total cell count), CD3, CD8, CD45RO, and other markers available on request.
The test article concentration can be a single point assay or an 8 point assay with custom concentrations available. The data delivery includes dose response curves illustrating the number of infiltrating T cells vs dose of the test compound, total cell counts for each treatment group, and the distribution of the distance of infiltration for immune cells. The images are analyzed to quantify the total number of cells and the total number of infiltrating immune cells by CD expression. The data is presented in figures, including maximum Z-projection of Z-stack, observed number of CD3+ cells detected within the boundaries of the tumor spheroid, breakdown of CD3+ cell counts by location in the tumor spheroid, and heatmap overlay depicting the relative number of detected CD3+ cells in concentric regions of the tumor spheroid.
Our in vitro Immuno-Oncology Immune Cell Infiltration assay is a powerful tool for accelerating drug discovery and development efforts. Its ability to assess the effect of compounds and therapeutic antibodies on immune cell infiltration, as well as screen immune cell populations for use in immunotherapy, makes it an invaluable resource for pharmaceutical and biotech companies. And with Visikol’s track record of success in helping companies accelerate their drug discovery efforts, you can trust that you’re in good hands. To learn more about this assay, please reach out to a member of our team today!