White Paper: The Evolution of Immune Cell Killing Assays Using Live-Cell Analysis
In the ongoing battle to understand cancer and develop new therapeutic strategies, researchers are exploring the role of the patient’s own immune system in defending the body against tumors. A critical component of this anti-cancer response is the ability of certain immune cells, such as cytotoxic T and natural killer cells, to induce malignant cell death through the process of immune cell killing (ICK). Modeling ICK in vitro is therefore of paramount importance.
Scientists have a particular need for methods that can capture, visualize and quantify the dynamic changes associated with ICK. Additionally, as increasingly translational models become more widely used, researchers require flexible ICK assays that can be applied to 3D tumor spheroids as well as adherent and non-adherent 2D co-cultures. This whitepaper demonstrates how the technique of real-time live-cell analysis has evolved to meet these changing requirements of immuno-oncology research.
