Are you caught in the classic research dilemma: precious samples deplete quickly with single-plex assays, yet the resulting data remains fragmented and difficult to integrate? This common challenge stems from measuring only one marker at a time, forcing you to split limited samples across multiple runs. The outcome is not just scarce samples, but also disconnected data that can obscure critical biological insights.
So, what are the key pitfalls of single-plex detection? Here are three major misconceptions often encountered in research: see if any resonate with your experience.
Table of Contents
1. Three Major Misconceptions of Single-Plex Detection
2. How Multiplex Detection Makes a Difference
3. Elabscience® Solution: Simplifying Comprehensive Profiling
01 Three Major Misconceptions of Single-Plex Detection
Misconception 1: Focusing on a single immune marker can be misleading
● IFN-γ is elevated, so Th1 immunity is activated?
But consider: Is IL-12 also present? Is the microenvironment supportive?
● IL-4 is elevated, indicating a Th2 shift?
But consider: Is it a simple allergy or a parasitic infection?
Relying on a single polarization marker fails to define the complete landscape and specific type of the immune response.
Misconception 2: Assuming chemotactic signals tell the whole story
● CCL2 is elevated, indicating it's recruiting monocytes.
But consider: Are these cells arriving for tissue repair or to promote tumor growth?
● CXCL10 is elevated, showing it's attracting T cells.
But consider: The signal is there, but can T cells successfully infiltrate the tumor interior?
Chemokines only reflect signaling. To assess the substance of an immune response, you must further understand: Which specific immune cell subsets are successfully recruited, and what is their distribution and functional state within the target tissue?
Misconception 3: Capturing a moment in a cytokine storm does not capture the full process
● IL-6 is elevated, indicating inflammation.
But consider: Is this the initiation, peak, or resolution phase of the storm?
● sCD25 remains persistently high, suggesting abnormal T cell activity.
But consider: Is this effective immune clearance or a developing, uncontrolled hyper-response (e.g., CRS)?
Measuring only a few inflammatory markers makes dynamic risk assessment of an immune storm difficult, potentially missing the critical window for early detection and intervention.
02 How Multiplex Detection Makes a Difference
Given these limitations of single-plex detection, what if one experiment could simultaneously measure multiple related markers? Let's explore the advantages multiplex detection brings to your research:
2.1 Decipher the Dominant Immune Response Type – Move Beyond the Th1/Th2 Choice
● Th1 Type: IFN-γ, IL-2, IL-12p70 — Drives anti-viral, anti-tumor cellular immunity.
● Th2 Type: IL-4, IL-5 — Involved in allergy and anti-parasitic humoral immunity.
● Th17 Type: IL-17A, IL-6 — Drives autoimmune disease and mucosal defense.
● Regulatory Type: IL-10, TGF-β1 — Mediates immune suppression and tolerance.
2.2 Track Immune Cell Migration
● CCL2: Recruits monocytes/macrophages; often promotes progression in tumors, yet can be beneficial in tissue repair.
● CXCL10: Recruits effector T cells and NK cells; its levels correlate with potential response to cancer immunotherapy.
● IL-8: Primarily recruits neutrophils; involved in acute defense but can also mediate chronic tissue damage.
2.3 Panoramic Monitoring of Cytokine Storm
● Initial Response: IL-1β, TNF-α.
● Cascade Amplification: IL-6, G-CSF, GM-CSF.
● Sustained Activation Marker: Persistently elevated sCD25 (soluble IL-2 receptor).
2.4 Integrate Multi-Dimensional Markers to Assess Tissue Microenvironment
● Vascular Status: VEGF (angiogenesis) and sICAM-1 (activation) jointly influence cell infiltration and nutrient supply.
● Immunosuppression: Soluble checkpoint molecules like sPD-L2 indicate suppressed T cell function.
● Tissue Remodeling: MMP-9 (matrix degradation) and ST2 (fibrosis) reflect structural changes.
03 Elabscience® Solution: Simplifying Comprehensive Profiling
Limited samples, tight timelines, constrained budgets: can you still obtain comprehensive, consistent data? This is why Elabscience® developed the Aptplex™ Kits. No sample splitting, no data patching. One assay delivers simultaneous readouts for multiple markers, making panoramic profiling simple and feasible!
Option 1: Pre-Mixed Panels – Ready-to-Use, Ideal for Your "First Time"
If you:
Are new to multiplex detection and prefer optimized, ready-to-use protocols.
Have standardized clinical samples requiring rapid screening.
Want to run a pilot experiment to evaluate performance.
We offer meticulously optimized, ready-to-use kits with 5-14 customizable analyte panels to choose from.
Table 1. List of AptPlex™ Human Multiplex Cytokine and Biomarker Panels
|
Product Name |
Target |
Cat. No. |
|
AptplexTM Human Autoimmune 6-Plex Panel |
IL-6, TNF-α, IL-17A, IL-1β, MMP-9, sCD54(ICAM-1) |
MPA005 |
|
AptplexTM Human Covid-19 8-Plex Panel |
IL-6, IL-1β, TNF-α, IFN-γ, CXCL10(IP-10), CCL2(MCP-1), IL-8, IL-10 |
MPA001 |
|
AptplexTM Human Cytokine 5-Plex Panel |
IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, IL-18 and TNFα |
MPA018 |
|
AptplexTM Human Cytokine 6-Plex Panel |
IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-12p70, TNFα |
MPA019 |
|
AptplexTM Human Immune Tolerance 12-Plex Panel |
IFN-γ, IL-2, IL-4, IL-5, IL-10, sCD25(IL-2RA), CXCL10, CCL5, CCL3, CCL4, sCD54(ICAM-1), ST2 |
MPA012 |
|
AptplexTM Human Immunosuppression 5-Plex Panel |
IL-6, IL-10, TNF-α, PD-L1(sCD273), IL-1RA |
MPA002 |
|
AptplexTM Human Immunosuppression 6-Plex Panel |
IFN-γ, CXCL9, CXCL10, IL-2RA(sCD25), PD-L2(sCD273), VEGF |
MPA003 |
|
AptplexTM Human Inflammation 14-Plex Panel |
IL-6, IL-1β, TNF-α, IFN-γ, CCL2, CXCL10, CXCL9, IL-8, IL-10, IL-18, MMP-9, sCD54(ICAM-1), ST2, VEGF |
MPA009 |
|
AptplexTM Human Intestinal Inflammation 6-Plex Panel |
IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, TNF-α, IL-10, ST2 |
MPA006 |
|
AptplexTM Human Myocardium 5-Plex Panel |
ST2, IL-18, TGF-β1, MMP-9, G-CSF |
MPA008 |
|
AptplexTM Human Neuroimmunology 12-Plex Panel |
CCL2, CXCL10, IL-6, TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-17A, IL-10, sCD106(VCAM-1), sCD54(ICAM-1), MMP-9, VEGF, TGF-β1 |
MPA013 |
|
AptplexTM Human Neuroinflammation 5-Plex Panel |
IL-1β, TNF-α, CCL2(MCP-1), IL-6, CXCL10 |
MPA007 |
|
AptplexTM Human Th1/Th17 12-Plex Panel |
IL-17A, IL-6, TNF-α, IFN-γ, IL-12p70, IL-10, CCL5(RANTES), CXCL10, IL-1β, IL-18, sCD54(ICAM-1), sCD25(IL-2RA) |
MPA011 |
|
AptplexTM Human Th1/Th2 7-Plex Panel |
IFNγ; IL-2; IL-4; IL-5; IL-6; IL-10; TNFα |
MPA015 |
|
AptplexTM Human Th1/Th2/Th17 11-Plex Panel |
IFNγ, IL-1β, IL-2, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-10, IL-12p70, IL-17A, TNFα, TNFβ |
MPA017 |
|
AptplexTM Human Th1/Th2/Th17 12-Plex Panel |
IL-1β, IL-2, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-17, IL-12p70A, TNFα, IFN-γ, IFN-α |
MPA014 |
|
AptplexTM Human Th1/Th2/Th17 7-Plex Panel |
IFNγ, IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, IL-17A, TNFα |
MPA016 |
|
AptplexTM Human Tumor 13-Plex Panel |
VEGF, MMP-9, TGF-β1, CXCL9, CXCL10, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-17A, sCD25(IL-2RA), sCD273(PD-L2), CCL5(RANTES), IFN-γ |
MPA010 |
|
AptplexTM Human Tumor 5-Plex Panel |
VEGF, MMP-9, IL-8, CCL5(RANTES), TGF-β1 |
MPA004 |
Option 2: Custom Solutions – Define Your Own Panel
If you:
Have a specialized research focus.
Work with unique or challenging sample types.
We support fully flexible panel design. Choose any combination from our menu of 30 human analytes to build your own custom multiplex panel.
Customizable Human Analytes:
CCL2(MCP-1)、CCL3(MIP-1α)、CCL4(MIP-1β)、CCL5(RANTES)、CXCL10(IP-10)、CXCL9(MIG)、G-CSF、GM-CSF、IFN-α、IFN-γ、IL-10、IL-12p70、IL-17A、IL-18、IL-1β、IL-2、IL-2RA(sCD25)、IL-4、IL-5、IL-6、IL-8(CXCL8)、LTA、MMP-9、sCD106(VCAM-1)、sCD273(sPD-L2)、sCD54(ICAM-1)、ST2、TGF-β1(Free active)、TNF-α、VEGF
Get Ready to Transform Your Research!
The future of efficient, comprehensive biomarker detection is almost here. Follow Elabscience® to be the first to access our new Aptplex™ Kits upon launch.
