Director
Core E is the Animal Models and Assay Core. This core has two main functions: a) to help evaluate the materials that are intended for clinical studies, in a number of model systems, using the advanced animal imaging instrumentation available at City of Hope; and b) the analysis of clinical blood, urine, bone marrow, and tissue biopsy samples.
The Specific Functions are:
- To provide the needed facilities and expertise for evaluating the biodistribution and imaging cells and antibody constructs in small animals, and
- To perform core studies on clinical samples obtained from patients entered on imaging and therapy trials.
Core E is a critical component of Projects 1, 2 and 4. All antibody and T-cell constructs are evaluated in vitro and in vivo prior to translation into the clinic. The in vivo analysis are performed as part of this Core using the expertise of the Core’s personnel. Animal biodistribution and imaging studies are performed using the Core personnel with help as needed from the individual projects. Luciferase transfected tumor cell lines and T-cells that are generated as part of the projects and antibodies and their engineered constructs are radiolabeled as part of the individual projects.
The in vivo studies are performed in City of Hope’s Animal Resource Center in the Parvin building. City of Hope’s National Medical Center and Beckman Research Institute has developed an animal imaging facility. It has two Xenogen in vivo biophotonic imaging system (IVIS), a Biospace Instruments animal gamma scintillation camera, a Concorde Microsystems microPET® R4 and a Siemens MicroCAT for small animals imaging.
This core also analyzes clinical samples from patients participating in the clinical trials included as part of Projects 1, 2 and 4. Analysis of blood and urine samples to determine the pharmacodynamics of the radiolabeled antibodies and their engineered constructs will be performed by this Core. Samples are counted to determine the pharmacokinetics and selected samples are analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography to evaluate the status of the labeled construct. In vitro assays to determine circulating levels of infused antibodies and constructs, as well as their immunogenicity, are also performed by this Core. Immunoassays will be performed by ELISA or using methods developed using the PerkinElmer VICTOR3 plate reader using time-resolved fluorometry.
