The proposed flow cytometry system equipment will be used in NIH funded research projects to study the further definition of cellular nature of natural killer (NK) and killer (K) cells; ontogenic development and differentiation and characterization of pulmonary alveolar macrophages; ontogenic development and differentiation of B lymphocytes and regulatory T lymphocytes; separation and characterization of heterogenous populations of leishmania; separation and characterization of macrophage subpopulations with different degrees of susceptibility to leishmania infections; indentification and separation of subsets of lymphoid cells during leishmania infection and immunization; to further characterize C-reactive protein (CRP)+ and CRP- lymphocyte subpopulations; to determine whether or not CRP is differentiation marker for NK cells; to develop monoclonal antibodies against cell-surface CRP for study of role of CRP in the NK response; isolation of a human suppressor T-cell factor; and ontogenic development of Ig allotypes in cells of B lymphocyte lineage and analysis maternal cytophilic antibody that may bind to the surface of lymphocytes in neonates and may regulate immune responses. The equipment will also be used to isolate mutants defective in heparin sulfate proteoglycan (HSPGs) on cell surface and in basement membranes or other adhesive molecules to study the physiological role of HSPGs; and measurement of DNA synthesis to study effect of adenosine on vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation. Also, medical oncology and hematology group will also be using the flow cytometry for clinical research: to analyze T lymphocyte subsets of patients undergoing specific active immunotherapy of colonic carcinoma; and to improve the diagnosis, classification and to facilitate the treatment planning for malignant lymphomas and leukemias. Thus, the acquisition of the flow cytometry systems would greatly enhance the planned research programs. In addition, it is anticipated that the flow cytometry laboratory will serve as an institutional core facility that will enhance and expand other research programs, and it will also help in the recruitment of research faculty and the development of an immunoparameter laboratory for the new University hospital.
