Highly sensitive reporter cell line for detection of interferon types I–III and their neutralization by antibodies

Interferons (IFNs) are a critical component of innate immune defenses and limit viral disease severity. To advance studies on IFNs and their neutralization by pathogenic autoantibodies, we generated a Renilla luciferase‐based reporter cell line capable of detecting the activities of IFN‐Is, IFN‐II, and IFN‐IIIs. The reporter cell line exhibits a 125‐ to 2000‐fold higher sensitivity to IFNs than a commonly used alternative biological reporter system and allows for a rapid and simple live‐cell workflow for detecting low titer amounts of neutralizing anti‐IFN antibodies.