Center for AIDS Research

The Immunology Core provides advanced tools and training for evaluating humoral and cellular responses to HIV infection.

The assays, reagents, technology, and education offered by the Core support CFAR research involved with the prevention, detection, and treatment of HIV infection and AIDS. Most Core services are used by investigators to help quantify immune responses in plasma, serum, secretions, or cells from HIV-infected patients or lentivirus-infected nonhuman primates. The types and levels of support available from Core faculty are flexible—from quick telephone or email troubleshooting consultations to intensive group trainings on specific technologies; from simple cytometry experiments using one to three colors to cutting-edge experiments using up to 18 colors; and from rapid immune analysis of a few samples for a pilot assessment or hypothesis generation to longer-term collaborations involving joint study design and execution. Services are accessible through our three subcores:

Flow Cytometry Subcore: Experiment Design, Consultations, Laboratory Support

Humoral Immunity Subcore: Antibody and antigen testing; recombinant protein and antibody production; viral and cell line culture; neutralization assays.

Specialized Cellular Immunity Subcore: Flow cytometry (cell sorting, Te cell response, T/B cell phenotyping, special studies); specialized assays of cell function/activity, proliferation, or phenotyping (NK, Treg, DC); cytokine bead array; viral suppression assays.