This kit quantitatively measures mouse interleukin-2 (IL-2) in serum, plasma, cell culture supernates, and tissue homogenates, supporting immunological research into T cell activation and proliferation. Because IL-2 is produced transiently and at low concentrations following T cell receptor engagement, accurate quantification demands both high sensitivity and compatibility with diverse sample contexts.
Detection Range: The 3.9–250 pg/mL range aligns with the concentrations typically observed in stimulated splenocyte supernatants and activated T cell cultures, where IL-2 peaks within hours post-stimulation. Unstimulated or in vivo samples generally fall at the lower end, so minimal dilution is needed for most experimental conditions.
Sensitivity: At 1.95 pg/mL, the kit detects IL-2 in conditions where secretion is limited — such as early time points after antigen stimulation, regulatory T cell co-cultures that suppress IL-2 production, or serum from naïve mice where circulating IL-2 is near-absent.
Sample Compatibility: Validation across plasma, serum, culture supernates, and tissue homogenates enables researchers to correlate systemic IL-2 levels with local production in lymphoid organs and in vitro functional assays within a single study.
Assay Efficiency: The assay requires a loading volume of only 50µL, which can be diluted, effectively needing just 25µL of neat sample—preserving precious material. The 50 µL sample volume and 3.5-hour protocol accommodate experiments using limited primary T cell populations or sorted subsets, where both cell numbers and conditioned media volumes are constrained.
This kit is well suited for studies of graft rejection, autoimmune disease models, and checkpoint immunotherapy response in mice.