Antigen-presenting cells (APCs) are fundamental to initiating adaptive immune responses, and macrophages, among the most versatile of these, play a central role in bridging innate and adaptive immunity. At Creative Biolabs, our macrophage antigen-presenting capacity assessment service offers a highly sensitive and quantifiable approach to evaluating macrophage antigen-presentation efficiency, particularly in co-culture systems with T cells.

The Antigen-Presenting Capacity of Macrophages

Antigen presentation involves the processing and presentation of peptide fragments by MHC class II molecules on the macrophage surface. This is crucial for the activation of native CD4+ T cells. Once activated, these T cells proliferate, producing a wide array of cytokines to orchestrate downstream immune responses.

Fig.1 Antigen cross-presentation potential of macrophage subtypes.^1,4

The ability of macrophages to present antigens efficiently is of great importance.

• Autoimmune disease research
• Cancer immunotherapy development
• Infectious disease models
• Vaccine efficacy assessment
• T-cell-based therapeutic design

Dysregulation of antigen presentation can lead to immunosuppression or hyperactivity, underscoring the importance of accurate and quantifiable assessment.

Macrophages are the primary APCs found in inflammatory sites, specialized in efficiently clearing necrotic and apoptotic material. However, the antigen-presenting capacity of macrophages in facilitating the immune response has not been well assessed. Based on the thymidine incorporation assay, Creative Biolabs has developed an antigen-presenting capacity assessment service to characterize macrophages. As a gold standard, thymidine incorporation assay has great application potential to study the antigen-presenting capacity of macrophages and thereby promote associated drug discovery.

Antigen-Presenting Capacity Assessment Service by Thymidine Incorporation Assay at Creative Biolabs

Antigen-presenting capacity assessment service by thymidine incorporation assay from Creative Biolabs is based on a radioactive assay that incorporates the radioactive [3H] thymidine into newly synthesized DNA. We evaluate the macrophages' ability to present antigens by measuring the levels of radioactivity in the antigens that were radiolabeled.

Furthermore, we provide a service to isolate macrophages from human or murine tissues and culture them. Moreover, we also provide custom solutions to aid in the development of associated drugs or therapies targeting the antigen-presenting capacity of macrophages. At Creative Biolabs, we not only possess complete and professionally certified equipment to ensure this service but also equip a professional and experienced research team for each project. Together with them, we are confident in presenting desirable results for customers around the world at a short turnaround.

Fig.2 Schematic diagram of antigen-presenting capacity assessment service by thymidine incorporation assay.^2,4

In addition, we provide full-around customized services involving both macrophage primary cells and macrophage cell lines in accordance with customers' diverse needs.

• Macrophage primary cells: bone marrow, blood, spleen, etc.
• Macrophage cell lines: J774A.1, RAW264.7, P388D1, U937, etc.

Our assay is a well-established method for evaluating lymphocyte proliferation as a proxy for antigen presentation efficacy. We provide a streamlined and customizable workflow to meet our clients' specific research objectives.

Table 1 Basic workflow of antigen-presenting capacity assessment service.

With our assay, you will be able to obtain detailed data analysis, including quantitative assessments of macrophage uptake, processing and presentation of antigens. These data will provide you with a scientific basis for further research.

Creative Biolabs is constantly developing useful technical services to support customers' macrophage projects. We encourage you to get in touch with us for more details about our antigen-presenting capacity assessment service by thymidine incorporation assay and place an order.

Related Products

Our service helps researchers understand how macrophages process and present antigens. On this basis, we are pleased to introduce our related products which include kits for macrophage research. These products can be seamlessly integrated with our evaluation services to provide you with comprehensive support from experimental design to results analysis.

Our research products include cells and assay kits. We look forward to working with you.

Service Features

Customizable to Various Antigens and Species

Whether you are working with murine models, human PBMCs, or novel antigens, our platform is adaptable to your project’s specific needs.

Ultra-Sensitive Detection

Gold standard thymidine adulteration assay provides high sensitivity and quantitative accuracy, detecting even subtle changes in T cell activation.

Full Workflow Management

We handle everything from macrophage preparation and antigen loading to co-culture and data analysis, ensuring reliability and reproducibility.

Publications

Alveolar macrophages (AM) have been found to act as antigen-presenting cells that support the expansion of lung CD8⁺ memory T cells. Intranasal antigen administration to subcutaneously immunized mice resulted in rapid expansion of antigen-specific CD8⁺ T cells in the lungs, which was dependent on antigen cross-presentation by AM.

Fig. 3 Alveolar macrophages instruct CD8⁺ T cell expansion by antigen cross-presentation.^3,4

Scientific Resources

Learn More Macrophage Biology

Download Macrophages Development

Learn More Advances in In Vivo CAR-Macrophage Therapy

Learn More Isolation and Identification of Macrophages

Q & A

Q: What types of samples and antigens is the test suitable for? Does it support personalization?

A: The service is compatible with a variety of sample sources, including human-derived PBMC, peripheral monocyte-derived macrophages, and primary macrophages of mouse or rat origin. Antigen types can cover short peptides, recombinant proteins, whole cell lysates, and more. We support a high degree of personalization, and customers can provide custom antigens or entrust us to screen and validate the most applicable model antigens.

Q: Is it necessary to provide a specific source of T cells? Can you provide matching antigen-specific T cells?

A: To ensure the specificity of the experiment and the interpretability of the results, we recommend that customers provide T cells with known antigen specificity, e.g., from transgenic mice or cloned T cells. However, if the customer is unable to provide them, we can match you with the appropriate T cell subset based on an existing antigen library or perform customized sorting.

Q: Is large throughput sample testing supported? If I have multiple antigens or multiple experimental batches, can they be integrated and arranged?

A: Fully supported. Creative Biolabs has modular high-throughput systems and automated culture platforms to handle multiple batches simultaneously. We can also provide you with a staged delivery plan to ensure batch-to-batch consistency and reduce project costs, helping you achieve higher data density on a limited budget.

Q: Does the test result include an interpretation of the intensity of the T-cell response?

A: We provide detailed data interpretation services, including background correction of T cell proliferation, antigen specificity index calculation, fold change statistics, and graphical visualization. For further data mining (e.g. integration with RNA-seq results, immunophenotypic correlation analysis), our immunobioinformatics team can also provide collaborative support.

References

1. Muntjewerff, Elke M., et al. "Antigen cross-presentation by macrophages." Frontiers in Immunology 11 (2020): 1276. https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2020.01276
2. Ganesan, Nirosha, et al. "Methods to Assess Proliferation of Stimulated Human Lymphocytes In Vitro: A Narrative Review." Cells 12.3 (2023): 386. https://doi.org/10.3390/cells12030386
3. Kawasaki, Takumi, et al. "Alveolar macrophages instruct CD8+ T cell expansion by antigen cross-presentation in lung." Cell Reports 41.11 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2022.111828
4. Under Open Access license CC BY 4.0, without modification.