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The Immunomonitoring and Cell Production Facility (IMF) is a shared resource operated for the benefit of the faculty of RPCI. The laboratory provides critical services in the conduct of Phase I/Phase II clinical trials in cancer patients. The facility performs serial monitoring of immunologic function in patients throughout the course of treatment with various biologics-based modalities. Immunomonitoring has included patients undergoing vaccination with:

• monoclonal antibody to tumor antigen
• tumor specific peptide antigen
• peptide-pulsed dendritic cells

The laboratory supports clinical studies by providing a range of specialized services and assays in accord with Good Laboratory Practice as defined by the FDA and NCCLS. These include:

• specimen procurement, processing and banking
• in vitro stimulation and expansion of antigen specific T cells and cytolytic T cells
• CTL assay utilizing time resolved fluorometry;
• ELISA assays for cytokine serum or biologic fluids levels
• cytokine mRNA by RT-PCR
• ELISPOT assays for Th1 and Th2 cytokines
• Automated Analysis of ELISPOT assays using the laboratory’s Zeiss KS ELISPOT system v 4.3.56.

Importantly, the laboratory routinely designs and develops new assays for RPCI investigators as required to meet the monitoring needs of relevant protocols. In summary, the goal of the facility is to provide all possible support to clinical trials with biologics so that modulation of an individual patients’ immune system can be assessed and correlated with clinical outcome.

Staff

Scientific Director: Sally Schneider, PhD, phone 716-845-4581
Laboratory Administrator and Technical Support: Cathy Grande, BS phone 716-845-3279
Location: Buffalo Life Sciences Center (BLSC) L1 314