Cytokines are soluble proteins, peptides, and glycoproteins that can modulate the immune system. They modulate the immune system through intercellular communication by carrying information from one cell to another. Cytokines include interleukins, chemokines, interferons, and lymphokines.
The primary objective of chemokines and cytokines is to coordinate, proliferate and differentiate cell growth. Besides, they have functions in inflammation, angiogenesis, immunity, neurology, immune cell differentiation, tumorigenesis, and viral pathogenesis. Research shows that cytokine regulation is the initial cause of immunological and inflammatory disease. Therefore, bioanalytical methods for quantitative analysis of cytokines are crucial for discovering the relationship between healthy and diseased biological states. The current article discusses one such robust and reliable method.
MSD cell-based assays for assessing cytokines and chemokines
MesoScale cytokine multiplex assays are similar to ELISA assays. However, they employ electrochemiluminescence detection and multi-array technology to quantify cytokines in complex study matrices. Moreover, MSD technology has other reliable bioanalytical methods, such as MSD PK and MSD ADA assay. Meso Scale Discovery assays offer a broader dynamic range and higher sensitivity and therefore are ideal for quantifying cytokines and chemokines with enhanced precision. Understanding the importance of MSD cell-based assay, CROs are focused on analytical method transfer in pharma studies to share robust and reliable assay protocols with their clients.
MSD cell-based assay
Meso Scale Discovery assay combines electrochemiluminescence detection with multi-array technology to detect cytokines in complex biological matrices. Such a combination offers a highly dense and rapid analysis of analytes through the organization, miniaturization, and parallel processing of samples.
MSD platform has over 400 kits coupled with customization abilities to help scientists make precise and accurate determinations of analytes in complex biological samples. MSD platform is a low-cost system generating high-quality data with minimal effort and less time. This feature has made MSD a reliable partner of most clinical research organizations, pharmaceutical companies, biotech companies, government institutions, and personalized medicine companies.
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Electrochemiluminescence detection employs specialized sulfo-tag labels. Upon electrochemical stimulation, these labels emit a light signal. This electrochemiluminescence technology offers several benefits.
- The assay offers a high signal-to-background ratio with minimal background disturbance
- The assay detects labels that are present near the electrode surface, enabling a non-wash assay
- MSD assays are flexible as the Sulfo-tag labels are non-radioactive, stable, and can be conveniently conjugated to molecules
- The assay is read at around 620 nm, and therefore they do not have any color quenching issues
- Flexible surface coating combined with custom coating capacities
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Multi-array plates offer multiplexing capacities to researchers and scientists. Each well can have up to ten spots. Besides, a 384-well plate can have up to 4 spots, further enhancing the multiplexing capacities of MSD assay. Moreover, each MSD assay is complemented with robust software to provide a powerful tool for analyzing preclinical and clinical data.
Applications of MesoScale cytokine multiplex assay
Due to robust and advanced assay features, MSD assays have several applications, such as:
- Measuring important analytes specific to inflammation and immune responses
- Evaluating the efficacy of a candidate vaccine by estimating critical inflammatory chemokines and cytokines
- Secondary quantitative assessments of potential biomarkers detected via other bioanalytical methods
- Cost-effective detection of multiple biomolecules in a GCP/GCLP laboratory environment.