Welcome to your Human Immunologic Monitoring Facility

a Comprehensive Cancer Center Core

The Human Immunologic Monitoring (HIM) facility serves as a specialized laboratory performing correlative assays and biospecimen processing to support cancer immunotherapy and translational research studies. HIM participates in project development to assist investigators with study design, assay selection, and workflow optimization prior to study initiation. We provide consultation and support during IRB and grant preparation, coordinate sample kit preparation and specimen pickup from clinics within the University of Chicago Medicine, and process samples according to study-specific protocols. Depending on project requirements, samples may be isolated and cryopreserved for later analysis or immediately stained and analyzed for specific immunologic markers. All materials are logged into a secure digital tracking system and stored under appropriate conditions with complete chain-of-custody documentation and inventory control to ensure sample integrity and traceability.

Assays performed include both advanced and traditional platforms. Current capabilities feature multiplex immunofluorescence (mIF) imaging of FFPE tissues using Vectra Polaris system, spatial transcriptomics with the Visium and Visium HD (10x Genomics CytAssist) platforms, and single-cell and single-nuclei library preparation on the 10X Chromium iX for RNA, TCR/BCR, ATAC or Multiome workflows. In addition, HIM continues to offer immunology-based assays such as ELISA, ELISPOT, cytokine multiplexing, tetramer binding, and flow cytometric analyses, along with molecular assays including RNA and/or DNA extraction, quantitative PCR, and Western blot analysis. Our facility is equipped with an ELISPOT reader, PCR thermocyclers, an nCounter (NanoString), the IsoLight Single-cell Secreted Protein Analysis System, a GentleMACS Dissociator, CO2 incubators, biosafety cabinets, centrifuges, and other essential laboratory equipment. While  assays are primarily performed on human samples, consideration will be given to expanding these services to mouse-model systems.

Investigators interested in using any of these services for pilot studies, grant applications, or research projects are encouraged to complete a Service Request form or email him@bsd.uchicago.edu.

The Human Immunologic Monitoring facility is the beneficiary of funding support from the University of Chicago Cancer Research Center (P30CA014599). Sample language for acknowledging the core in publications:

“We thank The University of Chicago Human Immunologic Monitoring (HIM) Facility (RRID:SCR_017916), especially [staff name], for their assistance with [technique name].