A new flow cytometry assay to measure antibody- dependent cellular cytotoxicity against SARS-CoV-2 Spike-expressing cells

Antibodies can engage specific receptors at the surface of effector cells and mediate several functions beyond viral neutralization. Increasing evidence suggests that Fc-mediated effector functions, such as antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC), have an important role in protection against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections. We engineered a cell line stably expressing a GFP-tagged SARS-CoV-2 spike to measure ADCC. This protocol provides an optimized way of measuring ADCC activity mediated by anti-SARS-CoV-2 Spike monoclonal antibodies or plasma from previously infected or vaccinated individuals.For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Anand et al. (2021b).

Automated summary

Antibodies can engage specific receptors on effector cells and have functions beyond viral neutralization, such as antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC), which plays an important role in protection against SARS-CoV-2 infections. By using a cell line expressing GFP-tagged SARS-CoV-2 spike, ADCC activity mediated by anti-SARS-CoV-2 Spike monoclonal antibodies or plasma from previously infected or vaccinated individuals can be measured in an optimized manner. Detailed information on the protocol can be found in Anand et al. (2021b).