Core C: Immunologic Monitoring and Cellular Products Laboratory (IMCPL) This laboratory is a specialized facility at the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute (UPCI), which is dedicated to the state-of-the-art evaluation of immune responses prior to, during and after therapeutic interventions in patients with cancer. In addition to generating cellular products for human therapy, it also provides services for tissue procurement and processing. In its role as Core C for this PPG, the IMCPL will assume responsibility for supporting the immunotherapy-based clinical trials proposed by the projects. Core C, functioning as a cGMP facility, will culture and characterize dendritic cells (aDC1) for patient therapy and prepare vaccines by loading these aDC1 with apoptotic tumor cells (ATC) (colorectal cancer (Project 1 and 4) and melanoma (Project 1)) for therapy. Core C will be responsible for quality and sterility of the aDC1- based vaccines. Potency of aDC1 products will be measured, using the IL-12p70 production assay. Core C will also procure and process all body fluids and tissues harvested in the course of the clinical trials. Tumor specimens obtained at the time of surgery or biopsy tissues will be processed for use in vaccines or will be banked for immunohistochemistry to be performed by Core B. Core C, serving as a fully certified immunologic monitoring facility, will monitor immune responses to the administered vaccines by performing ELISPOT assays and tetramer analyses. Core C will also be prepared to assist the PPG investigators in implementing assays necessary for evaluation of immunologic responses to vaccines. The Core will ensure that all cellular products it generates and samples it collects are accompanied by appropriate documentation that will permit linking laboratory analyses with clinical results. Core C will also provide assistance in preparation of IND submissions. The Core laboratory has a long history of collaboration with all of the investigators, and in the context of the proposed clinical and pre-clinical studies will be entirely dedicated to the support of this PPG.
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