Department Shared Facilities

Clinical Immunology Core

The Clinical Immunology Core offers a variety of services directed at measuring cell mediated immune responses against tumors in cancer patients. Directed by Karen Zier, Ph.D., this core is specifically devoted to studies of immune responses by human cancer patients. Facilities are available for the isolation and cryopreservation of mononuclear cells from the blood, as well as single cells from liquid tumors or those prepared from solid tumors. Subset isolation, using negative depletion with monoclonal antibodies and complement, as well as monoclonal antibodies and magnetic beads, is performed at the core.

The particular expertise of the Immunology Core lies in the analysis of cell mediated immune responses against autologous tumor cells. Endpoints used include measurement of proliferation, T cell and NK-mediated cytotoxicity, and cytokine secretion. Cytokine levels can be assessed using both the ELISA assay, that measures total cytokine levels in solution, and the ELISPOT assay, a new approach that quantifies the frequency of T cells that make antigen-specific responses. The ELISPOT assay is especially suited to evaluate anti-tumor responses before and after immunotherapy. All necessary equipment is available.

The core also has a major research component directed at developing novel assays to determine anti-tumor responses by patients. This is done by concentrating on approaches that are feasible when limited amounts of material are available. The staff of the core will provide assistance to investigators who desire to learn the above techniques and carry them out in their own laboratories.

Major Equipment

• Liquid nitrogen storage facilities for cryopreserving lymphocytes and tumor cells
• ELISA reader to measure cytokine levels in solution
• ELISPOT reader to measure cytokine secretion
• A beta counter to measure 3H-TdR incorporation into DNA
• A gamma counter to measure 51Cr release in a cytotoxicity assay