Immune Monitoring
The Immune Monitoring Facility provides various immunological analysis techniques, both cellular and molecular, for the characterization of the frequency, phenotype, and function of immune cells through all phases of a clinical study—from the initial idea to its completion.
Slogan for the 'Miltenyi Biotec MACSima imaging platform'
Our facility focuses on the immune monitoring of novel cell-therapy studies, particularly those using CAR-modified and TCR-modified T cells to treat disease and cancer. To do this we use proven methodologies such as multi-parametric Fluorescence Activated Cell Sorting (FACS), polyclonal and antigen-specific T-cell stimulation, as well as the detection of cytokine release using ELISA, Luminex and ELISpot. These are applied to T cells obtained from treated patients using Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
In order to understand the clonality, differentiation state, current activity, and functional stability of genetically modified T cells, it is particularly important to identify the CAR/TCR sequence, the gene expression profile, and the epigenetic state of specific genes in each single T cell. Consequently, deep genomic characterization of CAR- and TCR-genetically modified T cells is required at the single-cell level in order to assess their therapeutic potential, but also to determine whether their reprogramming would result in unfavorable phenotypes and functionality for the patient during treatment.
To obtain this information, methods that facilitate the combined analysis of the TCR, the transcriptome, and the epigenome of each single cell are currently tested, optimized, and standardized on T cells isolated from the blood and tissues (tumor, GVHD target tissue) of patients. The aim is to apply these immune-monitoring methods to future cell-therapy studies.
For more information about Immune Monitoring please contact:
Dr. Maria Xydia
Postdoctoral Scientist
Tel: +49 941 944–18104
Email: maria.xydia@ukr.de