Evaluating Companion Animal Health with Flow Cytometry

by Laura Kurth, PhD, VP Laboratory Operations, Minneapolis

Flow cytometry has long been a crucial tool in research, diagnostics, and support for the drug development process, however, it has not been widely applied to companion animal health and pet well-being. At MLM, we aim to make this assessment more accessible via our validated canine flow immune panel testing, allowing a better understanding of the canine immune system. Our comprehensive flow services encompass a range of essential offerings.

Immunophenotyping and cellular characterization

Our canine flow panel enables precise identification and characterization of immune cell populations such as T cells and B cells.  Specifically, we look at CD45, CD4, CD5, CD8 & CD21 markers which are well-known inflammatory markers. CD4+ T cells play a crucial role in orchestrating immune responses and regulating immune activation, while CD8+ T cells are essential for cellular immunity and target-specific elimination of infected or abnormal cells. CD21+ B cells further allows us to assess B cell activation and maturation. Therefore, this panel can be utilized as follows:

Diagnostic services: By analyzing specific cell populations and their abnormalities, our canine immune panel aids in the diagnosis and monitoring of various canine diseases.

Drug Development and Preclinical Studies: Assessment of immune responses in preclinical studies is crucial in evaluating new drugs or therapies in canines.

In sum, our canine specific flow panel allows a deeper understanding of the immune system in dogs and facilitates more accurate analysis and interpretation of immune responses.

Future Development

In our efforts to make this panel more extensive, we are looking to expand the markers of interest to include regulatory T cells (Tregs).  Tregs are important immune system modulators that are particularly important in autoimmune diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), psoriasis, etc.

Additionally, we are eager to bring these same offerings to our feline friends and have already started designing panels for this purpose. If you are interested in learning more about our flow offering or have comments on what markers you would like to see included, please do not hesitate to reach out to us!