Advancing Human Milk Cytokine Research in Malaysia with R&D Systems Multiplex Assays

Cytokines are central to regulating immune responses—but when imbalanced, they can contribute to a range of immunological conditions. Understanding how these molecules fluctuate under environmental stressors could hold important clues for infant health, especially in breastfeeding populations exposed to second-hand smoke (SHS).

At Pusat Asasi, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), Malaysia, Dr. Tengku Norbaya binti Tengku Azhar is leading a research initiative focused on profiling cytokines and polyamines in human milk among exclusively breastfeeding mothers with SHS exposure. The study aims to uncover how environmental exposure may alter milk composition and, in turn, affect immune development in infants.

Streamlining Complex Cytokine Screening

Dr. Tengku Norbaya’s team needed a reliable way to detect multiple cytokines—including IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, and interferons (IFNs)—from human milk samples. But traditional approaches such as single-analyte ELISA were time-consuming and technically challenging, particularly with milk’s unstable composition.
 

“Human milk samples are sensitive to temperature changes and handling them repeatedly through freeze-thaw cycles risks degrading the analytes,” Dr. Tengku Norbaya explained. “Before adopting R&D Systems™ Assays for Luminex instruments, using ELISA for each cytokine separately required longer lab hours and increased the potential for sample variability.”

Multiplex Power for Sensitive Samples

With R&D Systems Multiplex Assays, the UiTM team found a solution that not only conserved sample integrity but also enabled high-throughput screening across multiple cytokines in a single run.
 

“The R&D Systems Multiplex Assays offer a convenient technical workflow for sensitive samples like human milk,” Dr. Tengku Norbaya said. “We can now handle samples efficiently and screen more cytokines in one shot—without compromising accuracy.”
 

The integrated xPONENT® software further streamlined data processing, automatically generating standard curves and verifying assay performance—features that proved invaluable compared to traditional, manual curve fitting.

Faster Results, Stronger Confidence

For Dr. Tengku Norbaya’s team, the impact of R&D Systems Multiplex Assays has been both practical and scientific. Research timelines have shortened significantly, and reproducibility has improved.
 

“Using the Multiplex Assays from R&D Systems, we can complete studies in a shorter time and with less hassle,” she said. “The software ensures accurate, valid results with proper optimization—something that’s difficult to achieve with manual methods.”
 

The team is now preparing to publish findings from this work, which may provide new insights into how environmental exposures influence immune factors in breast milk.

Advancing Human Milk Research Through Technology

Looking ahead, Dr. Tengku Norbaya plans to expand her research alongside the evolution of multiplex immunoassay technology.
 

“We will continue our cytokine studies in parallel with advancements in cytokine screening,” she said. “The Multiplex Assays from R&D Systems have truly changed the way we approach this type of analysis—it’s efficient, accurate, and perfectly suited for complex biological fluids like human milk.”