Ex vivo lymphocyte proliferation

Additional parameters that are readily incorporated into a stand-alone immune function test such as the KLH-TDAR model include ex vivo lymphocyte proliferation, cytokine protein expression, and immunophenotype analysis any or all of which can enhance hazard identification and characterization of a potential immunotoxicant. While the KLH-TDAR is an example of a combined immune function screen and mechanistic study, the ex vivo methodologies described herein are generally applicable to toxicology studies that do not include an immunization protocol. Moreover, the methodologies are not species-specific however, responsiveness to various stimulants to induce ex vivo lymphocyte proliferation and cytokine production may differ across species and strain, requiring procedural optimization for a given species and ex vivo test. 

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