On June 11, 2025, Quanterix and Frontage Laboratories co-hosted a compelling webinar focused on improving cytokine biomarker quantification using the Simoa^® platform. The session featured Jingwen Tan, Ph.D., Director of Biomarker Services at Frontage Laboratories, who presented the validation of an ultra-sensitive IL-17A assay developed using Simoa technology. Joining her was Wesley Straub, Ph.D., VP of Product Management at Quanterix, who introduced the Cytokine Advantage PLUS product line and its applications across diverse therapeutic areas. Together, they delivered both technical depth and real-world applicability, highlighting how digital immunoassays are reshaping cytokine detection in complex biological matrices and enabling more precise biomarker-driven research in clinical studies.

The Challenge of Low-Abundance Cytokines

The session began with an introduction highlighting a persistent challenge in immunology and therapeutic development: cytokines are often present at ultra-low levels in biological samples yet play pivotal roles in disease progression and patient responses. Traditional immunoassays frequently lack the sensitivity to detect these faint signals, creating gaps in biomarker discovery and clinical monitoring workflows. Frontage’s Director of Biomarker Services provided a detailed walkthrough of the assay validation process. As a CRO supporting preclinical and clinical programs, Frontage needed to validate the Simoa platform’s performance to meet client expectations for sensitivity, reliability, and regulatory readiness.

 Key highlights included of their validation included:

• Dynamic Range & Limit of Detection (LOD): Using the Simoa HD-X Analyzer^®, they achieved detection limits in the single-digit femtogram per milliliter range, orders of magnitude better than conventional ELISA platforms.
• Validation Metrics: Frontage conducted a full validation, measuring critical parameters such as:
  • Precision (intra- and inter-assay CVs under 10%)
  • Matrix effects in serum
  • Recovery tests using spike-and-recovery and dilution linearity assessments
• Study Context & Implications: Although focused on IL-17A, Frontage highlighted the assay’s broader utility in immuno-oncology, autoimmune conditions, and infectious disease profiling. The low-quantity detection enables early identification of cytokine changes in longitudinal studies.

Overview of the Cytokine Advantage PLUS Product Line

Shifting to the product perspective, Quanterix, provided a practical overview of the Cytokine Advantage PLUS line of single- and multi-plex assay kits. These kits include:

• Multiplex Panels: Each kit reliably detects multiple cytokines from a single 50 µL sample. One highlight slide detailed a 4-plex panel that includes IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, and TNF-α, all with femtogram/mL sensitivity.
• Standardization & Consistency: Kits are purpose-engineered for reproducibility, supplying standardized controls and reagents, optimized antibody pairs, and vendor-validated performance claims.
• System Integration: Users can run single-plex or multiplex assays on a single Simoa instrument, supporting sample-to-answer workflows from calibration to data output.
• Throughput & Automation: The HD-X system can run up to 288 samples per day. This scalability, together with minimal hands-on time, enables both exploratory research and large-scale clinical studies.
• Use Cases: Real-life examples spanned oncology (cytokine storm monitoring), autoimmune flare detection, infectious disease progression, and vaccine response analysis, all accomplished with high confidence due to the platform’s sensitivity and robustness.

Simoa vs. Traditional Platforms

A major highlight of the webinar was the comparison between Simoa and traditional multiplex immunoassays. Frontage, emphasized that Simoa offers significantly higher sensitivity, with the ability to detect cytokines at femtogram per milliliter levels. In contrast, most conventional platforms are limited to detection in the picogram per milliliter range. This level of sensitivity is critical for capturing low-abundance cytokines that are typically undetectable using standard methods. Another important advantage is robustness in complex matrices. Simoa maintains performance even in challenging biological samples like serum or plasma, while traditional platforms often suffer from matrix effects that compromise assay reliability. To reinforce these points, Frontage presented real-world data showing that cytokines undetectable on conventional platforms were clearly quantifiable using Simoa. This directly supports the growing adoption of Simoa in pharma and CRO environments that demand precision, speed, and data quality in biomarker-driven programs.

Furthermore, Frontage outlined how offering ultra-sensitive Simoa cytokine assays enhances their service portfolio, enabling them to deliver precision biomarker data across clinical phases I–III. Quanterix added value by noting the broad adoption of Simoa across academic and pharma clients, pointing to predictive biomarker panels, early efficacy insights, and even companion diagnostic support.

Final Takeaways

1. Simoa enables detection of low-abundance cytokines that conventional immunoassays miss, paving the way for early disease detection and therapy monitoring.
2. Frontage’s assay validation shows the platform’s readiness for rigorous clinical and CRO use, with high precision in complex samples.
3. The Cytokine Advantage PLUS line provides a versatile toolkit, combining multiplex flexibility with high data quality and throughput.
4. Integration into workflows is straightforward, with scalable automation and short instrument adaptation timelines.
5. The platform has diverse applications across therapeutic areas, from oncology monitoring to infectious disease profiling, making it a powerful tool for biomarker research.

What’s Next?

• Watch the recording for full slide content and data walkthroughs here!
• Contact Quanterix to access Cytokine Advantage PLUS kits, inquire about custom panel development, or to learn more.

By blending rigorous CRO-led validation with best-in-class assay technology, this webinar effectively demonstrated how Simoa empowers next-gen research discovery. Whether you’re tracking disease pathways, evaluating therapeutic efficacy, or designing clinical trials, this platform offers the sensitivity and flexibility you need to move research forward.

Stay tuned for future webinars showcasing Simoa’s application for rare biomarkers, neurological disease, and companion diagnostic development.