Technology

Our Vision

Oxford Immunotec Global PLC is a global, high-growth diagnostics company.  We bring energy and invention to a world in need of diagnostic truth.
Our leading product, the T-SPOT^®.TB test, is used for diagnosing infection with Tuberculosis, the world’s largest cause of death from infectious disease.

The Human Immune System

The human immune system is composed of three principle branches: Innate Immunity, Cellular (or T cell) Immunity and Humoral (or B cell) Immunity.

Despite these three branches and the multitude of immune cell types, the diagnostic world has only largely embraced antibodies. Leveraging our T-SPOT technology, Oxford Immunotec is one of the few companies to focus on standardising T cell and innate immunity measurements. Our T-SPOT technology gives us a unique toolbox to develop proprietary tests based on prosecuting the previously unexploited T cell and innate immunity branches of the immune system.

T-SPOT Technology

Our proprietary T-SPOT technology measures immune cell responses at a single cell level. Our technology studies the responses of living T cells and innate immune cells, which gives us a direct window into the immune system.

Simplistically, the technology starts with a blood sample obtained through a standard blood collection tube from which white blood cells, or WBC’s, are separated and purified. The cells are quantified and placed into specially designed plates where they are challenged with antigens specific to the disease under study. Disease-specific cells responding to these antigens will release immune messenger molecules, called cytokines. We then use chemistry to allow us to visualise those WBCs releasing cytokines (and hence those which react to the antigen), resulting in a spot on the bottom of the plate, corresponding to the footprint of an individual reacting WBC. Finally, we use an automated image analysis system to identify and count each of these spots to give a quantitative readout. That quantitative readout gives us the frequency of responsive disease-specific cells.

The exquisite sensitivity afforded by single-cell resolution is key to the platform’s applicability across different areas of medicine. This is because, for many conditions, the frequency of T cells or innate immune cells can be very low. Our technology has the ability to detect an individual reacting cell in a population of 250,000 white blood cells.

Because we always standardise the number of cells used in each assay, we can compare responses over time to a common standard. It is this normalisation of the sample that makes longitudinal measurement valid and the platform well-suited for monitoring applications.

The sensitivity of the T-SPOT platform, as well as its use for monitoring applications, are two of many reasons why this technique has key advantages over other technologies, such as ELISA.

About the T-SPOT.TB Test

The T-SPOT.TB test is a single-visit blood test for TB screening and is one of only two recommended alternatives to the tuberculin skin test (TST) – otherwise known as purified protein derivative (PPD) test, or the Mantoux test. The T-SPOT.TB test is available in over 50 countries including Europe, China, Japan, and the US, and is recognized by the WHO as one of the 100 essential diagnostic tests that should be available in every country. The T-SPOT.TB test uses a standardized sample, reducing the influence of factors in the blood which may affect performance, and normalizing for cell number variation.

The test has been shown to have a sensitivity of 95.6% and a specificity in excess of 97.1% and is able to maintain performance even in samples otherwise difficult to test, such as samples from immunosuppressed patients. The T-SPOT.TB test does not cross-react with the BCG vaccine. Automation of the T-SPOT.TB test is possible using the T-Cell Select reagent kit. Automation solutions are available for the low, medium, and high throughput settings². The T-Cell Select reagent kit also enables samples to be stored at ambient temperature for up to 54 hours after blood is collected.

About Oxford Immunotec

Oxford Immunotec Global PLC is a global, high-growth diagnostics company. We bring energy and invention to a world in need of diagnostic truth. Our leading product, the T-SPOT.TB test is used for diagnosing infection with Tuberculosis, the world’s largest cause of death from infectious disease. The T-SPOT.TB test has been approved for sale in over 50 countries, including the United States, where it has received pre-market approval from the Food and Drug Administration, Europe, where it has obtained a CE mark, as well as Japan and China.

Anti-CRTAM / CD355 Reference Antibody (Oxford Bio anti-CRTAM)
E24CHA186	EnoGene	100 μg	EUR 225
Description: Available in various conjugation types.

Anti-Matriptase Reference Antibody (Oxford Bio anti-Matriptase)
E24CHA497	EnoGene	100 μg	EUR 225
Description: Available in various conjugation types.

BS8599-1 Medium Workplace Catering First Aid Kit - in Oxford Box inc bracket
SAF1270	Scientific Laboratory Supplies	EACH	EUR 105.75

Anti-INHBB / Activin B Reference Antibody (Oxford Brookes U. anti-Activin Beta-B)
E24CHB014	EnoGene	100 μg	EUR 225
Description: Available in various conjugation types.

Polariser For Spot/spot Plus
MIC2526	Scientific Laboratory Supplies	EACH	EUR 210

T-Pro Stacking Buffer
JB03-C002	T-Pro Biotechnology	500ml/BT	EUR 182.4

T-Pro MycoClean spray
JT90-R002	T-Pro Biotechnology	500ml/BT	EUR 172.8

T-Pro EZ Gel Solution 8%
JB02-B008M	T-Pro Biotechnology	500ml/BT	EUR 266.4

T-Pro EZ Gel Solution 8%
JB02-B008S	T-Pro Biotechnology	100ml/BT	EUR 162

T-Pro EZ Gel Solution 10%
JB02-B010M	T-Pro Biotechnology	500ml/BT	EUR 266.4

T-Pro EZ Gel Solution 10%
JB02-B010S	T-Pro Biotechnology	100ml/BT	EUR 162

T-Pro EZ Gel Solution 12%
JB02-B012M	T-Pro Biotechnology	500ml/BT	EUR 266.4

T-Pro EZ Gel Solution 12%
JB02-B012S	T-Pro Biotechnology	100ml/BT	EUR 162

T-Pro EZ Gel Solution 15%
JB02-B015M	T-Pro Biotechnology	500ml/BT	EUR 266.4

T-Pro EZ Gel Solution 15%
JB02-B015S	T-Pro Biotechnology	100ml/BT	EUR 162

T-Pro Separating or Resolving Buffer
JB03-C001	T-Pro Biotechnology	500ml/BT	EUR 182.4

T-Pro BCA Protein Assay kit
JB04-D001	T-Pro Biotechnology	500assay/KIT	EUR 244.8

T-Pro Transfer Blotting buffer (10X)
JB08-H001	T-Pro Biotechnology	500ml/BT	EUR 162

T-Pro Western Blot Stripping Reagent
JB11-K002	T-Pro Biotechnology	500ml/BT	EUR 213.6

T-Pro Aqua EZ Clean (M)
JT90-R001M	T-Pro Biotechnology	500ml/BT	EUR 398.4

T-Pro Aqua EZ Clean (S)
JT90-R001S	T-Pro Biotechnology	100ml/BT	EUR 181.2

T-Pro EZ stain Gel solution
JT90-R005M	T-Pro Biotechnology	500ml/BT	EUR 224.4

T-Pro EZ stain Gel solution
JT90-R005S	T-Pro Biotechnology	100ml/BT	EUR 151.2

T-Pro P-Fect Transfection Reagent
JT97-N005M	T-Pro Biotechnology	1.0ml/vial	EUR 266.4

T-Pro Plasmid Mini Kit (100)
RB94-YPD100	T-Pro Biotechnology	100preps/Kit	EUR 193.2

T-Pro Plasmid Mini Kit (250)
RB94-YPD250	T-Pro Biotechnology	250preps/Kit	EUR 266.4

T-Pro Plasmid Midi Kit (20)
RB94-YPI020	T-Pro Biotechnology	20preps/Kit	EUR 255.6

T-Pro Plasmid Maxi Kit (10)
RB94-YPM010	T-Pro Biotechnology	10preps/Kit	EUR 266.4

T-Pro BCA Protein Assay Reagent A
JB04-D001A	T-Pro Biotechnology	500ml/BT	EUR 204

T-Pro BCA Protein Assay Reagent B
JB04-D001B	T-Pro Biotechnology	12ml/BT	EUR 140.4

T-Pro Bradford Protein Assay kit(1X)
JB04-D002	T-Pro Biotechnology	500ml/BT	EUR 193.2

T-Pro Fast Blocking Buffer (in PBS)
JK92-W001	T-Pro Biotechnology	500ml/BT	EUR 224.4

T-Pro Fast Blocking Buffer (in TBS)
JK92-W002	T-Pro Biotechnology	500ml/BT	EUR 224.4

T-Pro Genomic DNA Midi Kit (20)
RB94-NGM020	T-Pro Biotechnology	20preps/kit	EUR 266.4

T-Pro Genomic DNA Mini Kit (100)
RB94-NGS100	T-Pro Biotechnology	100preps/kit	EUR 255.6

T-Pro Laemmli (SDS sample) Reagent (reducing 4X)
JB06-F002	T-Pro Biotechnology	10ml/BT	EUR 151.2

T-Pro Tris-Glycine-SDS running buffer (10X)
JB07-G001	T-Pro Biotechnology	500ml/BT	EUR 162

T-Pro Tris-Glycine-Native running buffer (10X)
JB07-G002	T-Pro Biotechnology	500ml/BT	EUR 162