Immunogenetic Study of Infectious Diseases and Cancer

Clinical Center

Investigators

Linked publications & trials

Abstract

The Infectious Disease and Immugenetics section of the Department of Transfusion Medicine is focused on the identification of genetic variables that may influence the outcome of immunization protocols against cancer and/or infectious agents and in general against diseases that are prodominantly controlled by cellular immune responses. The Immunogenetics Research Laboratory includes a Fucntional Genomics Unit, a Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) detection unit, a pathogen chip detection unit and a T cell physiology unit. All of these units interact among them for the development of an integrated approach to the study of individual responses to immunological therapy aimed at the enhancemend of adaptive or innate immune responses with special emphasis on cellular immune responses. The program does not have direct clinical activities but collaborates with intra-mural and extra-mural clinical scientists for the analysis or responses to vaccines or other immunotherapy approaches More over, the program serves an integral component of the genomics efforts within the trans-NIH center for human immunology, devoted at the understading of normal human immune responses in baseline conditions or in response to stimulations such as vaccines In conclusion the Immunogenetics Program of the DTM, CC is devoted at the development and implementation of Translational Medicine efforts for the study of the immune responses in individuals of different ethnic background to active-specific immunization agains cancer and other chronic conditions predominantly controlled by cellular immune responses.