Depletion Assay
Ex vivo measurement of B-cell depletion in autoimmune patient samples is essential for assessing drug activity within a physiologically relevant immune context. This approach allows for the evaluation of treatment effects across the full B-cell compartment, including less abundant subsets such as plasmablasts and plasma cells. Identifying residual or treatment-resistant clones contributes to a deeper understanding of therapeutic impact and supports the refinement of dosing strategies and mechanism-of-action studies.
Plasmablasts and plasma cells often display high CD38 expression in several autoantibody-mediated autoimmune diseases. These subsets are involved in persistent autoantibody production and may contribute to therapeutic resistance. Vivia’s ex vivo assays allow direct assessment of drug activity on these clinically relevant populations, offering insights into both efficacy and mechanism of action.