Detection of Measles Virus-Specific Interferon--Secreting T-Cells by ELISPOT

The enzyme-linked immunospot (ELISPOT) assay is a highly sensitive tool used to measure the frequency of antigen-specific T-cells in vitro. Among its many applications, this assay is useful for the characterization of cellular immune responses after immunization against measles and other viral pathogens. A description of the measles virus-specific interferon (IFN)-γ ELISPOT assay optimized in our laboratory is described in detail in this chapter. Procedures for the preparation of measles virus, infection of peripheral blood mononuclear cells with measles virus, and the IFN-γ ELISPOT assay are also outlined. These methods can also be broadly adapted to measure activated T-cells to other viral pathogens and/or pathogen-derived peptides. Therefore, the ELISPOT assay can be used for the design, development, and evaluation of new vaccines.