Interferon alpha (IFN alpha) ELISA Kit

Materials Provided:

• Pre-coated microtiter plate(s)
• Plate Sealers
• Wash Solution Concentrate
• Human Interferon Alpha Standard, 10,000 pg/ml
• Dilution Buffer
• Antibody Concentrate
• HRP Conjugate Concentrate
• Concentrate Diluent
• TMB Substrate
• Stop Solution

Citations:
1. Interferon-alpha regulates the dynamic balance between human activated regulatory and effector T cells: implications for antiviral and autoimmune responses. Golding et al., 2010, Immunology. 133(1):107-117. (link)
2. Extracellular matrix protein CCN1 limits oncolytic efficacy in glioma. Haseley et al., 2012, Cancer Research. 72(6):1353-1362. (link)

The VeriKine Human Interferon Alpha ELISA Kit has been developed to quantify levels of human IFN-alpha in cell or tissue culture media using a sandwich enzyme linked immunoassay (ELISA). The kit is based on an ELISA with anti-detection antibody conjugated to horseradish peroxidase (HRP). Tetramethyl-benzidine (TMB) is the substrate. The assay is based on the international reference standard for human interferon alpha (Hu-IFN-α) provided by the National Institutes of Health.

Interferons (IFNs) are a family of mammalian cytokines produced by a variety of cells in response to viral infection, immunity stimulators and chemical inducers. They exhibit a wide range of biological activities that include antiviral, anti-proliferative and immunomodulatory functions. When IFN interacts with its cognate receptor, a signal is rapidly transmitted within the cell, often producing an antiviral state. The primary signal transduction cascade promoted by type I IFNs is the JAK1-STAT pathway. Activation of this signal transduction pathway leads to increased gene expression including (2’-5’) oligoadenylate synthetases, Mx proteins, and protein kinase R (PKR) that protect the cell from viral infection.

Interferon Alpha (IFN-alpha), a type I interferon, was one of the first FDA approved biotherapeutic treatments. Accurate measurement of IFN-alpha in cell or tissue culture media allows evaluation of basic immune responses as well as assessing the potency of Toll-Like Receptor (TLR) agonist-based therapeutics in vitro.