This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing theresources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject andinvestigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source,and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed isfor the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator.Recent advances in molecular biology and immunology have resulted in a renewed interest in the development of immune based therapies for the treatment of cancer. We now know that human tumors are immunogenic and have identified a variety of proteins that act as tumor antigens and we have a more detailed understanding of T-cell-antigen recognition and the character of peptides presented in MHC molecules. We can detect tumor specific immunity after active immunization, yet there are no standard immunologic monitoring methods that will allow comparison of vaccine strategies between labs or even allow accurate assessment of the immunogenicity of a particular vaccine. A major problem now facing tumor immunologists is the standardization and development of reproducible and clinical grade immunologic assays to determine the magnitude of tumor specific immune responses generated in the context of clinical trials of cancer vaccines. New technologies based on the function of antigen specific T cells, the recognition of peptide-MHC complexes, and the interaction of T helper cells with B cell augmentation have allowed the development of highly quantitative methods of T cell and antibody analysis based on antigen specific recognition and function. The purpose of this study is to develop these novel technologies for clinical use via the generation of a specimen core consisting of leukapheresis products derived from both volunteer donors as well as cancer patients. Blood products from volunteer subjects are the source of the cells used in our studies.
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