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Updated: Feb 11, 2026

Methods for Quantitative Detection of Antibody-induced Complement Activation on Red Blood Cells
Published on: January 29, 2014
Assessment of Complement Activation by Nanoparticles: Development of a SPR Based Method and Comparison with Current
Jean-Baptiste Coty1, Magali Noiray1, Christine Vauthier2,3
1Institut Galien Paris-Sud, CNRS, Université Paris-Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, 5 rue Jean-Baptiste Clément, 92290, Châtenay-Malabry, France.
Purpose:
A Surface Plasmon Resonance chip (SPR) was developed to study the activation of complement system triggered by nanomaterials in contact with human serum, which is an important concern today to warrant safety of nanomedicines.
Methods:
The developed chip was tested for its specificity in complex medium and its longevity of use. It was then employed to assess the release of complement fragments upon incubation of nanoparticles in serum. A comparison was made with other current methods assessing complement activation (μC-IE, ELISA).
Results:
The SPR chip was found to give a consistent response for C3a release upon activation by nanoparticles. Results were similar to those obtained by μC-IE. However, ELISA detection of iC3b fragments showed an explained high non-specific background. The impact of sample preparation preceding the analysis was assessed with the newly develop SPR method. The removal of nanoparticles before analysis showed an important modification in the obtained response, possibly leading to false negative results.
Conclusion:
The SPR chip developed in this work allows for an automated assessment of complement activation triggered by nanoparticles with possibility of multiplexed analysis. The design of the chip proved to give consistent results of complement activation by nanoparticles.
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