About
The Immunomonitoring Laboratory (IML) was established in March 2014 within The Andrew M. and Jane M. Bursky Center for Human Immunology and Immunotherapy (formerly CHiiPs) through funding by the Chancellor of Washington University in St. Louis, the Dean of the School of Medicine and Chairs of Medicine, Pathology and Immunology, Radiation Oncology and Surgery/Head of the Siteman Cancer Center.
Overview
The IML provides the structure, instrumentation and expertise to monitor the impact of specific immunotherapies on human and mouse immunologic profiles, interrogate mechanisms and pathways related to treatment protocols and advance the conceptual basis for targeted treatment strategies. The IML works closely with the Tissue Procurement Center (TPC) to access clinical samples.
Primary Objectives
- To conduct assays and provide expertise to support efforts in the areas of human and mouse immunology and immunotherapy (bench to bedside).
- To explore new basic mechanisms derived from analysis of immune mediated diseases and immunotherapy (bedside to bench).
- To synergize with other Washington University Centers and Programs to investigate novel roles of immunity in disease processes.
- To harmonize assay procedures across Immunomonitoring shared resources.
Services
- Produce custom human and murine MHC I tetramers
- Conjugate mAbs and tetramers with metal-containing polymer tags or fluorophores
- Provide single and multiple cytokine analyses from serum, plasma, cell culture supernatants or other fluids
- Perform lymphocyte functional assays
- Promote identification of new biomarkers for translational research
- Sample analysis by means of mass cytometry (CyTOF2/Helios) and flow cytometry (BD LSRFortessa X-20):
- Immunophenotyping, intracellular cytokine analysis, signaling profiling of murine and human samples;
- Consultations on CyTOF and flow cytometry panel design and analysis;
- CyTOF reagent bank: metal conjugated antibodies, barcoding reagents, antibody labeling kits for CyTOF; and
- Enterprise Cytobank platform subscription, a cloud-based storage and analysis solution optimized for high parameter workflows.
- Provide tetramer staining and instrumentation support for Immunoassay laboratory