Immunity Illuminated

Procedure for Cyclex's Luminetics T cell activation assay

The T-cell immune status of patients with conditions such as AIDS indicates disease progression. One way to evaluate T-cell immune health is to measure the proliferation of a patient's T cells in response to stimulation with an antigen or mitogen. However, these measurements typically require long incubation times and radioactive isotopes, making them unsuitable for clinical applications. Columbia, Md.-based Cylex Inc. has designed a convenient alternative with its Luminetics Assay for T Cell Activation, a rapid, whole blood-based assay that combines paramagnetic particle separation with luminescence detection. While cell proliferation assays provide similar information, the Luminetics Assay is unique in that it obtains results in hours rather than days; a typical assay takes less than 24 hours.

In the Luminetics Assay, T cells are stimulated with an antigen or mitogen first, followed by separation of specific T-cell subsets. Monoclonal antibodies attached to...