Cellecta Introduces First-to-Market RNA TCR/BCR-Seq Spike-In Control

Next-generation sequencing-based (NGS) immune repertoire profiling methods have emerged as powerful tools for understanding immune cell diversity and dynamics, in turn facilitating research insights in fields like immunology, oncology, infectious disease, and autoimmune disorders. Among these revolutionary tools, Adaptive Immune Receptor Repertoire Sequencing (AIRR-seq) has emerged as one of the most powerful by sequencing the repertoires of the all-important adaptive B cell and T cell receptors.

But despite their utility and popularity, there are few easy ways to ensure accuracy of NGS-based immune repertoire profiling, making reproducibility and consistency a challenge. This is especially true of AIRR-seq; because of the enormous complexity and variability in TCR/BCR sequences, any biases generated in the enzymatic, NGS, or data processing steps can significantly affect results.

Enter Cellecta, a leader in functional genomics and RT-PCR solutions, and its newly developed, first-of-its-kind RNA spike-in controls. Dubbed the DriverMap AIR Profiling RNA Spike-In Controls, the synthetic mRNA constructs are designed specifically to ensure consistent and reproducible TCR and BCR clonotype profiling. The universal RNA positive controls can be used to validate, calibrate, and standardize commercial and home-brewed AIR sequencing runs based on multiplex RT-PCR or 5’-RACE (SMART) PCR assays. They contain nearly full-length V(D)JC structures that represent all seven TCR (TRB, TRA, TRG, TRD) and BCR (IGH, IGK, and IGL) chains.

DriverMap AIR spike-in controls ensure sensitivity in measurement of accuracy and linear range of the PCR assay, and are easy to use—the premixed controls can be spiked directly into your experimental sample. The control is also useful in assessing sequencing errors and sample quality issues—including degraded FFPE—that may arise at the RT, PCR ,and NGS stages.

DriverMap AIR spike-in controls can also be used to identify cross-contamination—a serious problem for any PCR-based assay. Bench-level cross-contamination can arise from sample mixing, contamination with PCR products from previous experiments, or barcode jumping during sequencing—all common issues with the potential to significantly affect results.

DriverMap AIR RNA Spike-In Controls are available in two formats, Premixed Controls or Triplex Isoform Pools. The controls can be used with any AIR-Seq assay platforms. Cellecta also offers its own workflow, including AIR-DNA and AIR-RNA kits, a full TCR/BCR profiling service, and a data analysis pipeline.

By providing the means to ensure accuracy and harmonize data across platforms, this new, validated spike-in control set from Cellecta will increase the utility of an already powerful technique and accelerate insights into adaptive immune response—to the benefit of labs driving research for a wide range of human diseases.