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Ex vivo assessment of cellular immune function - applications in patient care and clinical studies
1Institute for Transfusion Medicine, University Hospital Essen, Essen, 45147, Germany.
Insights
Cellular ex vivo assays offer a global, in vivo-like analysis of immune responses, aiding in diagnosing immunodeficiencies and monitoring treatments. These sensitive assays are crucial for diverse clinical applications beyond genetic testing.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Clinical Diagnostics
- Cellular Assays
Background:
- Cellular ex vivo assays provide a comprehensive analysis of immune function.
- They offer a more global perspective compared to molecular genetics like single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) testing.
- These assays partially replicate in vivo conditions through complex immune cell interactions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review various cellular in vitro methods.
- To present diverse clinical applications of cellular ex vivo assays.
- To summarize the authors' own studies over the past 18 years.
Main Methods:
- Description of various cellular in vitro methods.
- Presentation of assay applications in clinical studies.
- Summary of specific research findings from the last 18 years.
Main Results:
- Cellular assays are sensitive and standardized for clinical use.
- They are applicable in diagnosing immunodeficiencies and monitoring immune responses.
- Assays can assess allergy, antimicrobial immunity, and anti-tumor immunity.
Conclusions:
- Cellular ex vivo assays are versatile tools in patient care and research.
- Their ability to mimic in vivo conditions makes them valuable for complex immune assessments.
- Standardized and sensitive assays are essential for reliable clinical and research outcomes.
Abstract:
Cellular ex vivo assays have a broad range of applications in patient care and clinical studies, especially when they are standardized and highly sensitive. As compared to analyses by molecular genetics such as the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) testing, they are usually more global. These assays partly mimic the in vivo situation, relying on a complex interaction of various immune cells. For example, they can be used to determine modulation of alloresponses by treatment or underlying disease, diagnose and quantify primary and secondary cellular immunodeficiency, follow-up vaccination responses, measure adoptive transfer of virus-specific immunity via hematopoietic stem cell or liver transplantation, assess allergy, antimicrobial immunity and also rare effector/memory cells directed against tumor antigens. This review will first shortly describe various cellular in vitro methods and then present applications, summarizing some own studies performed within the last 18 years.
