Positive Controls for T cell Activation
Positive controls for antigen-driven activation of CD4+ and /or CD8+ T cell memory
Monitoring antigen-specific T cell immunity relies upon functional tests which require both T cells and antigen-presenting cells to be uncompromised. The collection of blood, its storage and shipment from the clinical site to the test laboratory, as well as the subsequent isolation, cryopreservation and thawing of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) before the actual test is performed, can introduce numerous variables that may jeopardize the assay results. Therefore, no T cell test is valid without assessing the functional fitness of the PBMC being utilized. This can only be accomplished through the inclusion of positive controls that actually evaluate the performance of the antigen-specific T cells.
See our publication: Lehmann et al. CERI, CEF-X, and CPI: largely improved positive controls for testing antigen-specific T cell function in PBMC compared to CEF. Cells, 2021. 10, 248. [ref].