The tumor microenvironment is well-characterized as highly immunosuppressive, and there are many mechanisms responsible. Myeloid-Derived Suppressor Cells (MDSC) are macrophage-like cells that have attained an immunosuppressive phenotype as a result of the tumor microenvironment, and are known to suppress the activity of tumor-directed T cells.

We have developed an assay that synthetically derives MDSCs and measures their ability to suppress T cell proliferation. Test your compound’s ability to mitigate this suppression and boost T cell activity.

How does the MDSC Suppression Assay work?

• PBMC are stimulated with a cytokine cocktail including GM-CSF and IL-6 to induce MDSC differentiation
• MDSC are recovered using CD33+ isolation
• Autologous T cells are incubated with the CD33+ MDSCs and stimulated with anti-CD3/CD28
• Endpoints measured: T cell proliferation and activation surface markers

What can we observe?

Blood-derived monocytes can be efficiently differentiated to myeloid derived suppressor cells using a cytokine cocktail including GM-CSF and IL-6, and are enriched using the marker CD33 (see diagram).

CD33+ MDSC can be cocultured with autologous CD8+ T cells to measure their suppressive effects.

We have demonstrated that cytokine-derived MDSCs dose-dependently inhibit autologous CD8+ T cell proliferation compared to CD8+ T cells alone (green vs red or blue bubbles).

In a culture of CD8+ T cells alone, 20% of T cells do not proliferate, whereas the addition of MDSC to the culture dose-dependently increases the percentage of undivided cells.

We can assess your compound for its ability to relieve suppression on T cells.

For more information on this service or to discuss your requirements with our team.

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