Highly-sensitive reporter cell line for detection of interferon types I-III and their neutralization by antibodies

Abstract

Interferons (IFNs) are a critical component of innate immune defenses and limit viral disease severity. To advance studies on IFNs and their neutralization by pathogenic autoantibodies, we generated a Renilla luciferase-based reporter cell line capable of detecting the activities of IFN-Is, IFN-II, and IFN-IIIs. The reporter cell line exhibits a 125-to 2000-fold higher sensitivity to IFNs than a commonly-used alternative biological reporter system, and allows for a rapid and simple live-cell workflow for detecting low titer amounts of neutralizing anti-IFN antibodies.