Virus-specific T cells | stimulation, enrichment, analysis

Antigen-specific T cells play a pivotal role in fighting viral infections. Assessment of specificity, phenotype, and functional cytokine secretion of virus-activated T cells provides essential information on infection progression and the reactivity of the immune system.

However, assessment of ag-specific T cells is challenging as they constitute an extremely rare subset. Thus, a precise and sensitive analytic means is indispensable.

Miltenyi Biotec offers several innovative products, protocols, and webinars to support you at every step of your workflow and accelerate your research

In vitro stimulation of T cells and other immune cells

PepTivator Peptide Pools enable the efficient virus-specific stimulation of CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ T cells of interest. Our newly developed SARS-CoV-2 PepTivator Peptide Pools are now available.
SARS-CoV-2 recombinant proteins are highly immunogenic for the stimulation of various immune cells.

Enrichment of antigen-specific T cells

The CD137 MicroBead Kit, human and CD154 MicroBead Kit, human allow the pre-enrichment of rare virus-reactive T cells based on activation marker expression. Check out our Rapid ARTE protocol and see how staining on-column increases assay sensitivity.

Flow analysis of antigen-specific T cells

Rapid Cytokine Inspector Kits are unique tools that combine surface marker and intracellular cytokine staining in an easy and fast way, while allowing precise analyses.
MACSplex Assays can be used if you are interested in analysis of multiple soluble cytokines in one sample.
MACS® Cytokine Secretion Assays are kits that enable you to detect and enrich viable cytokine-screening T cells at the level of one in a million, which is especially useful when viable antigen-specific T cells are needed for further down-stream applications.

SARS-CoV-2 T Cell Analysis Kits

All-in-one Flow Kits for the analysis of SARS-CoV-2 reactive T cells (to be released soon). Each Kit will include a SARS-CoV-2 Peptivator of choice, the antibody panel and all needed controls and buffers.

Antibody panel in the Kit consists the following antibodies:

Marker	Clone	Fluorophore	Order No.
CD3	REA613	APC	130-113-135
CD4	REA623	Viobright-515	130-114-535
CD8	REA734	VioGreen	130-110-684
IFN-g	45-15	PE	130-113-493
TNF-a	cA2	PE-Vio770	130-120-492
CD14	REA599	VioBlue	130-110-524
CD20	REA780	VioBlue	130-111-531
CD154 (CD40L)	5C8	APC-Vio770	130-113-604
Live/dead	Viobility Fixable Dye	405/452	130-109-816
Free channel*		PE-Vio615	n.a.

* Can be used for additional specificities of choice, e.g. IL-2, IL17, IL21, CD69, CD137, OX40, perforin.

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Webinar

MACS Academy: COVID-19 – Enrichment and analysis of rare antigen- and virus-specific T cells

See how to beat the challenges that working with antigen- and virus-specific T cells in immunological research pose, specifically in SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 research.

Download interactive PDF of the presentation

Related PDFs:

Rapid ARTE Workflow protocol (application note)
Expansion, restimulation, and analysis of multivirus-specific T cells (application note)
Blood donor eligibility test for IFN-γ–secreting cell enrichment (application note)
Antigen-specific restimulation of CD8+ T cells by cross-presenting dendritic cells (application note)

coming soon:

Fast and efficient detection of SARS-CoV-2 reactive T cells via ag-specific stimulation (application note)

Webinar: COVID-19: Enrichment and analysis of rare antigen- and virus-specific T cells

Presenter: Dr. Marcello Stein

This webinar gives highlights and insights into how to beat the challenges that working with antigen- and virus-specific T cells in immunological research pose, especially in the interest of COVID-19 research.

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For research requiring isolation of Pan T cells and T cell subsets

Untouched isolation of T cells and T cell subsets

Direct isolation of T cells from blood and blood products

StraightFrom MicroBeads allow direct isolation of T cells from whole blood and blood products (Buffy Coat, LeukoPak® and LRSC) for e.g. antigen-specific presentation in a Mixed Lymphocyte Reaction (MLR).

Related PDFs:

MACS® Technology facilitates mixed lymphocyte reaction (Application note)
Antigen-specific restimulation of CD8⁺ T cells by cross-presenting dendritic cells (Application note)

Related products:

Ficoll free solution to isolate PBMCs from whole blood

MACSPrep PBMC Isolation Kit, human

Check out more supporting materials on antigen-specific T cells

Protocol

Rapid antigen-reactive T cell enrichment (Rapid ARTE)

Application

Antigen-specific T cells

Application note

Isolation of CD8+ antigen-specific T cells using the MACSQuant® Tyto® Cell Sorter

T cell research - The complete product portfolio

Solutions for stimulation, enrichment, and analysis of rare virus-specific T cells