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Cytotoxicity

Cytotoxicity is a substance's quality of being poisonous to cells. Chemicals like acids or immune cells are among cytotoxic substances. Antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC) is the cell-killing potential of lymphocytes once a target cell has been tagged by an antibody.There is also lymphocyte-mediated toxicity, which does not depend on antibodies. The three primary groups of cytotoxic T-lymphocytes are antigenic T-lymphocytes, killer cells, and natural killer cells.

Cytotoxicity is critical to the body's immune system, but it is also used in genetics research as a means for killing off the unwanted cells in a tissue sample that has been infected with genetic material. A gene is inserted into the infectious genetic material that inoculates the cell that takes it up from the cytotoxic material being used. Once the cells have accepted genetic material and started dividing, a cytotoxic substance like an antibiotic is introduced. Cells without the new genetic material, and thus the inoculation, are killed, leaving only cells with the new genetic material behind.

Cytotoxicity is also a subject of heavy pharmaceutical study, particularly in the area of cancer research. Low cytotoxicity to healthy cells and high cytotoxicity to cancerous cells is the ultimate goal of many chemotherapy drugs.

Web Resources On Cytotoxicity

A Practical Guide to ISO 10993-5: Cytotoxicity
Testing Cytotoxicity

Book Resources On Cytotoxicity

Mechanisms of Cell Mediated Cytotoxicity by William R. Clark et al
Nk Cell Mediated Cytotoxicity: Receptors, Signaling, and Mechanisms by Eva Lotzova

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