As discussed previously in our recent Drug Discovery post, Immunotherapy is one of the central research fields for various disease treatments and also certain cancers. A major regulator of immune homoeostasis and preventing autoimmunity, but potentially dysregulated in various cancers, Immune Checkpoint targeting has already led to promising treatment molecules (Nivolumab, Pembrolizumab…).

To face the challenges of Immune system complexity and the tumor microenvironment, BPS Biosciences have developed several reporter cellular lines (the full listing is here) to complement Biochemical assays. By providing more physiological outcomes in a cellular context (functionality of the whole cell signaling pathway) BPS cell lines allow, for example, the identification of an agonist vs antagonistic effect of your candidate.

PD-1/NFAT-Luciferase reporter jurkat cell line used to monitor the T cell response inhibition via PD-1 interacting with PD-L1/PD-L2

PD-1 / NFAT Reporter – Jurkat Cell Line

The PD-1 reporter cell line is a T cell line expressing luciferase under the control of NFAT response elements. The level of the luciferase activity measured with the One-Step luciferase detection system (BPS Bioscience) corresponds to the T cell activation in response to the TCR activator from the target cell.

To escape, the target cell may present PD-L1 or PD-L2 to PD-1. Indeed, the interaction inhibits the T cell activation. It leads to decrease in luciferase activity.