Short Assay Design for Micronucleus Detection in Human Lymphocytes

There has been a constant need to develop new and faster cytogenetic assays to measure the instability induced by genotoxic agents in the field of cytogenetic research, an example of which is the micronucleus assay. Micronuclei are fragments or complete chromosomes that remain in the cytoplasm during mitosis. With their high sensitivity and specificity detection, their presence can indicate environmental and occupational genotoxic effects. However, the prolonged periods of cell incubation this assay necessitates are costly and extensive. Hence, it is essential to develop an improved assay that can achieve standardization by being reproducible in practice. The standard protocol for the detection of micronuclei in lymphocytes uses a total assay time of 72 hours. Theoretically, it is possible to reduce the incubation period, and consequently, the total assay time, considering a lymphocyte, completes its mitosis in 24 hours. This study, after careful review of literature, proposes an experimental design to reduce the incubation period and demonstrates its usefulness in practice through the design of a collaborative trial.