The Cellular Therapy Shared Resource is an integral part of the Consortium and plays a critical role in the Clinical Transplantation program. Cellular Therapy helps support research by providing four specific functions. First, the resource provides the critical instrumentation and technical expertise in apheresis collection, cell processing, cryopreservation, and the infusion of cells. Included within this objective are the development of new cell selection and culturing techniques in support of novel autologous and allogeneic treatment protocols. Second, Cellular Therapy provides large-scale processing capabilities in support of specific research studies involving human, primate, and canine cells. This again encompasses the development of novel cell selection approaches and the preclinical validation of such research procedures for implementation in clinical studies. Third, the laboratory performs quantitative flow cytometry analyses and in vitro colony forming assays on various cellular components utilized for both clinical and research studies. These data are useful in determining which specific cell populations may be correlated with specific clinical outcomes. This in turn helps to stimulate the development of novel graft engineering approaches and techniques that could improve future transplantation studies. Fourth, Cellular Therapy procures and provides both patient and normal donor specimens in support of research projects. These samples, obtained under IRB approved protocols from fresh specimens and from an already established Repository Specimens for Research Studies, will be extremely useful in helping Center investigators to define the mechanisms involved in engraftment, disease control, immune reconstitution, and graft-versus-host disease. This application requests continued support for a resource which fulfills an essential role for peer reviewed research.
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