Service Core C - Immune Monitoring

Duke University, Durham NC

Investigators

Linked publications, trials & patents

Abstract

Abstract The Immune Monitoring Core for RadCCORE has existed since the initial award in 2005. The Core is comprised of technologies and services offered through three shared resource facilities in the Duke Human Vaccine Institute (DHVI) and the NIAID-constructed Regional Biocontainment Laboratory (RBL) at Duke: the Flow Cytometry and Cell Sorting facility, the DHVI/RBL Immunology Unit and the DHVI/RBL Virology Unit. The RadCCORE Immune Monitoring Core (Core C) will routinely provide investigators with high-quality, state-of- the-art cell sorting and phenotyping, multiplex cytokine profiling arrays, T cell repertoire monitoring, and in vivo immune function monitoring for countermeasure development efforts. Services offered in this renewal reflect actual Core C utilization in years 1-10 and have been updated and significantly enhanced to meet the growing needs of the new and innovative projects. Specific AIms of the RadCCORE Immune Monitoring Core are: 1) Provide state-of-the-art, polychromatic, fluorescence activated cell sorting and immunophenotyping support; 2) Provide targeted multiplex cytokine/chemokine profiling of biological samples, such as tissue culture supernatant, serum/plasma, and lung lavage fluid, using Luminex bead-based assays; 3) Provide T cell immune reconstitution monitoring in mice, humans and non-human primates by performing T cell receptor excision circle quantification and T cell repertoire deep-sequencing of peripheral T cell receptor beta variable gene utilization; and 4) provide mouse experimental vaccination and live virus challenge model (Influenza, PR8) to assess in vivo overall immune function. We have high-throughput assays for monitoring viral load and antibody binding and function (ELISA, neutralization/HAI assays). By working in collaboration with all five RadCCORE projects we will optimize assays to meet their needs and more effectively utilize the state-of-the- art instrumentation available through the RadCCORE Immune Monitoring Core. Critical to all four of our aims is a commitment to ongoing quality control of instruments, assays and models, and a strong commitment to anticipate and meet the future needs of the RadCCORE investigators.