The Immunomonitoring Core consists of two components located at the Baylor Institute for? Immunology Research (BUR) and the Rockefeller University (RU). The primary objectives of? Immunomonitoring Core are: 1) To carry out, in a standardized way, several assays of immune function in? patients enrolled in the clinical studies proposed in this Program Project. The assays performed by the Core? will be prioritized. Blood samples from RU will be shipped to Dallas. 2) To prepare peptide mixtures from? defined tumor antigens to monitor immune responses in HLA-A201 negative patients vaccinated with? autologous DCs loaded with killed tumor cells, either allogeneic melanoma cells or autologous myeloma? cells. The use of peptide mixtures will also enable the analysis of CD4 T cell responses and spreading of the? immune response to other epitopes and/or antigens. Peptide mixtures will be prepared at RU where they are? already being used to monitor HIV specific immunity. Vaccine induced immune responses will be measured? from a) fresh blood (memory effectors) with tetramers and cytokine ELISPOT (IFN gamma), and b) recall? cultures (recall memory cells) with tetramers, cytokine ELISPOT and assays to assess cytolytic activity? against tumor cells (either allogeneic melanoma cells lines or autologous myeloma cells). 3) To use EPIMAX? assay to measure the immune function, a combined proliferation/cytokine assay with peptide mixtures. This? Core will establish the magnitude and breadth of tumor-specific immunity induced using different types of DC? vaccines, different preparations of tumor antigens loaded onto DC vaccines, and different adjunct therapies.
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