The immune system plays an important role in protecting us from foreign organisms
such as bacteria and viruses as well as other substances like drugs or consumer
chemicals. It is complex in nature and if not functioning properly can lead
to immunosuppression, immunodeficiency, hypersensitivity, allergy and autoimmunity.
Many drugs stimulate or suppress the immune system, affecting humoral and cell-mediated
immunity, so assessing immunotoxicology is vital. Huntingdon Life Sciences has
extensive experience in supporting the development of biopharmaceuticals to
meet the ICH Topic S6 regulatory guidelines which may require immune system
investigations.
- Assessment of leukocyte subsets in toxicology species
by flow cytometry
- Development of assays to measure specific antibody responses,
cytotoxic T cells (CTLs), T helper cells (T cell proliferation assays)
and cytokines (ELISPOTs)
- Monitoring of immunosuppression by measuring:
- Antibody responses following immunisation with model
T cell-dependant antigens such as KLH and sheep red blood cells (plaque
assay)
- T cell responses using the local lymph node assay (LLNA)
- Delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) to microbial antigens
Monitoring stimulation of the immune system by:
- Analysing leukocyte activation markers on leukocytes by flow cytometry
or by conventional histology or immunohistochemical techniques
- Measuring an increase in cytokine secretion, receptor or activation
marker expression and in vitro cytotoxicity (e.g. of NK
cells)
T lymphocyte subset analysis of mouse lymph nodes
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T
and B lymphocyte analysis of mouse peripheral blood
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NK
cell and T lymphocyte analysis of rat spleen
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