Overview
The AIDS Monitoring Laboratory provides clinical trial support by performing sequential studies of immune function in individuals with HIV or other emerging or re-emerging infectious diseases throughout the patient’s treatment.
Our work helps assess the efficacy and mode of action of investigational treatment agents and guides determination of optimal therapeutic strategies that may lead to restored immune function.
We provide dedicated clinical trial support to programs at the National Institutes of Health, including the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Division of Clinical Research and the National Cancer Institute HIV and AIDS Malignancy Branch. Our support includes CLIA-certified hematology and flow cytometry.
Focus
Clinical specimen management and processing
- Isolate peripheral blood mononuclear cells, serum, and plasma from whole blood and leukapheresis specimens.
- Provide cryopreservation and long-term storage of whole blood, peripheral blood mononuclear cells, serum, plasma, and other body fluids or tissues.
- Measure human cytokines and biomarkers in clinical specimens.
- Prepare cells for microscopy.
- Use robotics-assisted liquid handling for large-scale projects.
- Receive and ship clinical specimens.
Flow cytometry and hematology
- Perform CLIA-certified analysis of clinical whole blood specimens using multi-color flow cytometry.
- Conduct multi-color staining and immunophenotypic analysis of cells derived from various tissues and cell cultures.
- Provide multi-parameter, high-speed cell sorting.
- Perform CLIA-certified hematological analysis of whole blood.
Biorepository support for clinical trials
- Serve as central biospecimen repository for large-scale domestic and international clinical trials.
- Manage shipping, receipt, inventory, and long-term repository storage of clinical trial biospecimens.
- Coordinate shipment of laboratory supplies and packaging supplies to clinical trial sites.
Technology
Flow cytometers and hematology instruments
- BD Biosciences FACSLyric Flow Cytometers
- BD Biosciences LSR-Fortessa Flow Cytometers
- Sony MA900 Cell Sorter
- YSMEX XNL-350 Hematology Analyzers
- Hematek Automated Slide Stainers
Biomarker testing platforms
- Mesoscale Discovery Multiplex Assays
- Protein Simple/ELLA Multiplex Assays
- Traditional ELISA Assays
- Two BioMerieux Vidas Analyzers
Other technologies
- Robotics-Assisted Liquid Handling System: Tecan Freedom EVO-200 Robot
- Cell Sorting Platforms: RoboSep Automated Cell Isolation System, Dynal Immunomagnetic Bead Cell Isolation System