Immuno-Oncology In Vitro Assays

By Ben Tyrrell and Katie Chapple, Sartorius Stedim Biooutsource

We offer a wide range of assay types and formats to characterize immune-oncology monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). In this application note, we discuss our recently developed assay format to characterize checkpoint inhibitor mAbs, specifically discussing those that target the PD-1 PD-L1 pathway.

Targeting immune checkpoints such as the PD-1 PD-L1 pathway has proven in recent years to be an effective treatment approach resulting in a range of approved mAbs that bind PD-1 or its ligand PD-L1. The checkpoint inhibitor pathways continue to be an area of intensive research and development to bring other Mab treatments to the market. Characterizing the mechanism of action (MoA) of these molecules requires complex assays using primary cells because the MoA rely upon the interaction between T cells and antigen presenting cells.

Utilizing our assay development expertise, the high through-put iQue Screener PLUS flow cytometer newly manufactured by Sartorius and long-established ELISA approaches, we developed a flexible mixed Lymphocyte Reaction (MLR) assay format, allowing us to work with our clients to  characterize their molecule of interest in a MLR assay. Depending on the client’s requirements, the flexible assay format can have multiplexed flow cytometry or ELISA endpoints to characterize the molecule of interest.