What We Do

Robert Honec Associate Scientist, Supervisor
301-480-8079

Overview

The Flow Cytometry Support Laboratory is a clinical laboratory that provides state-of-the-art diagnostic clinical flow cytometric testing and immunophenotyping. 

We support the National Cancer Institute Flow Cytometry Laboratory in the Laboratory of Pathology. The majority of flow cytometric testing we perform involves detecting minimal residual disease and measuring specific tumor cell characteristics mandated by various clinical protocols.

The laboratory provides flow cytometry immunophenotyping of hematolymphoid neoplasia for patients at the National Institutes of Health. We also support the National Cancer Institute clinical protocols. 

Innovations

The laboratory has supported projects spanning cancer research, including: 

  • Primary effusion lymphoma, a rare extranodal lymphoma that typically presents in a body cavity in the absence of a detectable tumor mass and that occurs predominantly in immunosuppressed individuals.
  • Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy, which involves genetic modification of patient's autologous T-cells to express a CAR specific for a tumor antigen, followed by ex vivo cell expansion and re-infusion back to the patient. 
  • Myeloid-derived suppressor cells, a diverse population of immature myeloid cells that have potent immune-suppressive activity. 

 

Focus

Specimen management 

  • Receive specimens for primary diagnosis, sub-classification, and staging to detect therapeutic targets, such as antibody-based therapy. 
  • Evaluate changing signs or symptoms, for example a new onset of neurological symptoms in a patient with lymphoma. 
  • Follow response to therapy under protocol-dictated schedules for National Cancer Institute patients. 

Flow cytometry and immunophenotyping 

  • Test for cancer and disease research, including: 
    • Chronic lymphocytic leukemia
    • Acute myeloid meukemia 
    • Hairy cell leukemia 
    • Follicular lymphoma 
  • Identify abnormal B and T cell populations using flow cytometry. 
    • CD19, CD20, CD22, CD30, CD33, and CD52 
  • Assess light chain restriction in plasma and B-cells. 

Technology

  • The BD FACSCanto II™ benchtop analyzer features reliable performance and accurate results for experiments requiring up to 8 parameters. 

  • BD FACSLyric™ flow cytometry achieves automated standardization through highly reproducible results and enable collaboration through assay portability.