{
  "abstract": "Activation-induced marker (AIM) assays are a promising tool to track antigen-specific T cells, but methodological heterogeneity between research groups hinders their clinical utility. To evaluate AIM assay reproducibility, we conducted a multi-site study of SARS-CoV-2 and cytomegalovirus AIMs. We found inherent variability in AIM assays and optimized approaches to enhance reproducibility, including a standardized workflow to minimize technical variability and a generalizable Box-Cox transformation-based statistical method to optimize calculation of AIM stimulation responses. We further standardized AIM data analysis through the development of automated flow cytometric gating software and demonstrated its superior reproducibility compared to manual analysis. We also characterized antigen-responsive regulatory T cells (Tregs) as CD134 + CD137 + cells among CD4 + FOXP3 + HELIOS + cells. The combined methodology results in a high degree of reproducibility within and between research groups, providing a comprehensive foundation from which standardized AIM assays can be implemented across diverse scientific and clinical settings.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada; Department of Surgery, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada; Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada",
    "BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada",
    "Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada",
    "Research Centre, Montreal Heart Institute, Montréal, QC, Canada",
    "Department of Basic and Translational Research, BC Cancer, Vancouver, BC, Canada",
    "BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada; Department of Surgery, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada",
    "Department of Surgery, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada",
    "Human Immune Testing Suite, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada",
    "BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada; Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, BC Children's Hospital, Vancouver, BC, Canada",
    "Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, BC Children's Hospital, Vancouver, BC, Canada",
    "Immunology-Oncology, Centre de recherche de l'Hôpital Maisonneuve-Rosemont, Montréal, QC, Canada",
    "Department of Software Engineering, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada",
    "Department of Basic and Translational Research, BC Cancer, Vancouver, BC, Canada; Faculty of Science, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada",
    "Faculty of Science, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada",
    "Immunology-Oncology, Centre de recherche de l'Hôpital Maisonneuve-Rosemont, Montréal, QC, Canada; Département de microbiologie, infectiologie et immunologie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada",
    "Département de microbiologie, infectiologie et immunologie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada",
    "Research Centre, Montreal Heart Institute, Montréal, QC, Canada; Department of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada",
    "Department of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada",
    "BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada; Department of Surgery, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada; School of Biomedical Engineering, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada. Electronic address: mlevings@bcchr.ca"
  ],
  "article_type": null,
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 17,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1,
        2
      ],
      "name": "Torin Halvorson",
      "orcid": "0000-0003-4698-2479"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        3
      ],
      "name": "Gabrielle Boucher",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-8759-1629"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        4
      ],
      "name": "Daniel Yokosawa",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-4097-2096"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        5,
        1,
        6
      ],
      "name": "Jinqing Huang",
      "orcid": "0000-0003-0173-9555"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        5,
        1,
        6
      ],
      "name": "Rosa García",
      "orcid": "0009-0002-7522-6920"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        5,
        1,
        6
      ],
      "name": "Lieke Sanderink",
      "orcid": "0000-0001-9801-343X"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        7
      ],
      "name": "Lan Chen",
      "orcid": "0009-0008-0777-7994"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        8,
        1,
        9
      ],
      "name": "Lorraine Liu"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        10
      ],
      "name": "J. Ernesto Fajardo-Despaigne"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        11
      ],
      "name": "Jasper Halvorson"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        12,
        4,
        13
      ],
      "name": "Ryan R. Brinkman",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-9765-2990"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        8,
        1,
        9
      ],
      "name": "Suzanne Vercauteren",
      "orcid": "0000-0003-2224-0307"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        14,
        15,
        10
      ],
      "name": "Sylvie Lesage",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-0968-2795"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        7
      ],
      "name": "Jonathan L. Bramson",
      "orcid": "0000-0003-2874-6886"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        16,
        17,
        3
      ],
      "name": "John David Rioux",
      "orcid": "0000-0001-7560-8326"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        5,
        1,
        6
      ],
      "name": "Sabine M. Ivison"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        18,
        1,
        6
      ],
      "name": "Megan K. Levings",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-0305-5790"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/d9xtcqhnkpbq3.bib",
  "cited_by": 6,
  "doi": "10.1016/j.crmeth.2026.101458",
  "fulltext_url": null,
  "id": "d9xtcqhnkpbq3",
  "issns": [
    "2667-2375"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://doi.org/10.1016/j.crmeth.2026.101458",
  "language": "en",
  "licence": "CC-BY-NC-ND",
  "licence_label": "CC BY-NC-ND",
  "licence_source": "journal",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
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      "openalex",
      "2403|T-cell and B-cell Immunology"
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  "openalex": "W4412462286",
  "pdf_url": null,
  "pmcid": "PMC13390085",
  "pmid": "42155445",
  "published": "2026-05-19",
  "publisher": "Elsevier BV",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/d9xtcqhnkpbq3.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-11-04T13:21:10Z",
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      "url": "https://doi.org/10.1016/j.crmeth.2026.101458"
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  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "biology",
      "origin": "openalex:2403|T-cell and B-cell Immunology",
      "subfield": "immunology"
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  ],
  "title": "Reproducible detection of antigen-specific T cells and Tregs via standardized and automated activation-induced marker assay workflows",
  "title_text": "Reproducible detection of antigen-specific T cells and Tregs via standardized and automated activation-induced marker assay workflows",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-11-09T13:21:11Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/d9xtcqhnkpbq3",
  "venue": "Cell Reports Methods",
  "versions": []
}