Home > Immunology Assays > Regulatory T cells
Testing modulators or inducers of regulatory T cellsRegulatory T cells (‘Tregs’) play a vital role maintaining immune homeostasis and are capable of inhibiting the function of various effector immune cells. Within the tumour microenvironment, Tregs may expand to increase their suppressive function impairing anti-tumour responses (see also Suppression Assays for other cell types). Conversely, in autoimmune diseases, expansion and/or enhancement of Treg populations may restore immune homeostasis to alleviate disease.
Celentyx have developed various in vitro assays to interrogate Treg function. For instance in one variant of the assay, human Tregs are purified (from the blood of healthy volunteers or patients with defined disease) by bead-based separation or FACS (the latter important for the study of Treg sub-populations), followed by culture with effector cells in plate-based formats to test impact of biological or small molecule potential therapeutics. Typical readouts include proliferation of effector cells and/or their expression of markers (e.g. activation markers, phosphorylated signalling molecules or intracellular cytokines; by flow cytometry or high-content imaging) or secretion of bioactive molecules (e.g. cytokines and effector molecules; quantified by ELISA or Luminex). |
Further Immunology Assays
B Cells Haemolysis Testing Human Microglia Macrophages/Monocytes Neutrophils/Granulocytes Phagocytosis Assays Spheroid Killing Assay Suppression Assays T Cell Activation Assays T Cell Exhaustion Assays Tumour infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) and dissociated tumour cell assays Tumour Cell Killing Assays |
Data example 1: Human Treg cell induction, expansion and phenotyping
T cell sub-populations exhibit differential expansion potential, suppressive function and/or survival. Purification by magnetic beads or fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACS) enables properties of Treg cell sub-populations to be studied in detail.
T cell sub-populations exhibit differential expansion potential, suppressive function and/or survival. Purification by magnetic beads or fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACS) enables properties of Treg cell sub-populations to be studied in detail.
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Data example 2: Human Treg cell function
The suppressive function of Treg cells quantified in the absence (vehicle) or presence of test agents by titration of Treg cells in the presence of an activation stimulus (e.g. dendritic cells or anti-CD3/CD28 beads) and an effector/responder cell type. Suppression of activation marker expression, proliferation and cytokine production quantified within the effector/responder population (see also our dedicated Suppression assay page).
The suppressive function of Treg cells quantified in the absence (vehicle) or presence of test agents by titration of Treg cells in the presence of an activation stimulus (e.g. dendritic cells or anti-CD3/CD28 beads) and an effector/responder cell type. Suppression of activation marker expression, proliferation and cytokine production quantified within the effector/responder population (see also our dedicated Suppression assay page).
