Assessing Antibody-dependent, Cell-mediated Cytotoxicity in Cancer Cells using Antibody-Dependent Cell-Mediated Cytotoxicity Reporter Bioassay

The method for antibody-dependent, cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC) represents an important tool to assess the efficacy of therapeutic antibodies in cancer immunotherapy. Evaluating ADCC activity in cancer cells is essential for the development and optimization of antibody-based treatments. Here, we propose a methodological approach of utilizing an ADCC bioassay kit for quantitative assessment of ADCC reaction using thyroid cancer cells as effector cells. The protocol involves the co-culture of effector cells with target cancer cells in different ratios in the presence of a therapeutic antibody. The ADCC bioassay kit used in this experiment includes the genetically engineered effector cells expressing a luciferase reporter gene under the control of Nuclear Factor of Activated T-cell (NFAT) response elements. Upon the binding of the surface antigen on the target cells with the antibodies and effector cells, the effector cells release luciferase, enabling quantification of cytotoxicity through measurement of luminescence signal. In contrast to conventional ADCC assays, this method proved the binding of target antigen with antibodies and effector cells, which can produce reliable results in a short period.