What is Cytokine-Induced Cellular Activation Antibodies?
Cytokine-induced cellular activation antibodies represent a class of autoantibodies hypothesised to arise when immune dysregulation leads to antibody formation against cellular epitopes exposed or modified during cytokine-driven inflammatory responses. The concept proposes that chronic inflammation alters cell-surface or intracellular antigens, rendering them immunogenic; circulating antibodies to these neoantigens may then perpetuate or amplify inflammatory signalling. The CICA assay was developed to detect such antibodies in serum using proprietary cell-based immunoassay platforms that expose target cells to defined cytokine conditions before measuring antibody binding.