Monocyte activation test

Commonly used acronym: MAT

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Scope of the method

The Method relates to

Human health

The Method is situated in

Regulatory use - Routine production

Type of method

In vitro - Ex vivo

This method makes use of

Human derived cells / tissues / organs

Specify the type of cells/tissues/organs

Whole human blood cells

Description

Method keywords

Pyrogen test
alternative to rabbit pyrogen test
european pharmacopoeia
endotoxins and non-endotoxin pyrogens

Scientific area keywords

quality control of injectable medicines

Method description

The monocyte-activation test (MAT) is used to detect or quantify substances that activate human monocytes or monocytic cells to release endogenous mediators such as pro-inflammatory cytokines, for example tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNFα), interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β) and interleukin-6 (IL-6). These cytokines have a role in fever pathogenesis. Consequently, the MAT will detect the presence of pyrogens (endotoxins on non-endotoxin pyrogens) in the test sample. The MAT is suitable, after a product-specific validation, as a replacement for the rabbit pyrogen test (see European pharmacopoeia chapter 2.6.30). Although 3 methods (quantitative test, semi-quantitative test or reference lot comparison test) are described in the Ph. Eur.

Lab equipment