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TruCulture - a clinicle testsystem - ex vivo

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Aim of TruCulture

Providing data to estimate the efficacy of the immune system of an individual person.

Test principle

Especially for clinical trials EDI GmbH can offer a newly developed cell culture test system that measures whole blood mediator release ex vivo in an extremely simple way (patent pending). The TruCulture overcomes all of the unreliabilities of the traditional ex vivo culture models using isolated and thus heavily manipulated leukocytes. The performance of this test has been designed to be completely independent of the availability of cell culture labs or even especially trained personnel.

The test measures the response of white blood cells to stimuli typical for infections. The activation of these cells is performed in whole blood (in contrast to most other test systems). This is the normal environment of such cells resembling the conditions in the body as close as ever possible in cell culture. In response to these activators the cells produce cytokines (messenger substances) in a way corresponding to the actual health state of the immune system of the test person. These cytokines on the other hand have to be measured in specialized laboratories. In fact, there are other methods to test immune functions. Their major drawback is, that they have to be performed in expert labs and therefore the blood has to be sent there. In most instances the shipping takes not less than 24 hrs and the cells in the blood often loose much of their activity even after 1 or 2 hrs. Our system takes advantage of a newly developed procedure, that allows the incubation and cultivation of blood cells immediately after taking the blood, thus avoiding false negative results causing misinterpretation. Therefore the reliability of the results is increased substantially.

How TruCulture is performed

No special skills beyond those to draw blood are required to perform TruCulture tests!
The test kit includes syringes containing the stimulant as well as a specially composed medium. In addition a cheap and simple thermostat is needed. Only 1 ml of blood has to be drawn into the syringe. Thereafter the blood/medium mixture is incubated for variable periods, depending upon the mediator(s) to be tested. At the end of this incubation step the supernatant of the culture has to be separated from the cells by simply inserting a "valve-septum" into the syringe.
Subsequently the syringe can be stored or sent to a lab (either frozen or refrigerated) where the different cytokines secreted into the culture fluid can be measured.

Cytokines to be measured

Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFa), Interferon gamma (IFNg), Interleukin-1, -4, -5, -6, -8, -10, -12, -13, G-CSF, TGF-ß, MCP-1, leukocyte elastase, histamine, TX-B2, PG-E2 (COX-1 or COX-2 specific!), coming soon: leukotrienes.

When to use TruCulture

Clinical trials (anti-inflammatory drugs, immuno-modulators, adjuvants, vaccines)
Therapy control (immuno-suppression, immuno-modulation, desensitization, vaccination, adjuvant tumour therapy)
Immune status