Antibody Dependent Cellular Phagocytosis (ADCP) Assays

Phagocytosis is an immunologic mechanism involved in apoptosis, necrosis, infection and tumour conditions that is mediated by leukocytes such as macrophages, DCs, neutrophils, etc. One of the types of phagocytosis is antibody-dependent cellular phagocytosis (ADCP) in which antibody-opsonised target cells activate phagocytes via Fc-FcR binding. This leads to internalization and degradation of the target cell which is a useful mechanism in infection and tumour biology, and the basis of many antibody-based drugs.

 

In vitro ADCP phagocytosis Assays

Our in-house phagocytosis assay using cell line based macrophages is adapted to an ADCP assay where the target cell is co-cultured with phagocytes. In addition to generating microscopy based co-localisation readings of target cell and phagocyte (representing cell attachment) we generate flow cytometry based phagocytosis readings in which the values of the phagocytosed vs non-phagocytosed populations can be quantified. In this model the target cell can be an adherent or a suspension cell.

Applications of ADCP Assays

ADCP is important in studies of various therapeutic areas and biological pathways:

• Tumour biology and oncology
• Infection
• Immuno oncology
• Tissue damage and cell death

In recent years much attention has been given to in vitro ADCP models in oncology.