Shared Resource Facility Overview

The Cancer Center Flow Cytometry Core provides advanced tools and specialized training for cellular analysis. The facility is a valuable resource in the study of almost any cancer and the development of innovative cancer treatments.

The core is housed in the Center for Health Disparities and Molecular Medicine (CHDMM). It regularly contributes to innovative efforts aimed at reducing health disparity in our community and beyond.

Resources and Services

The facility is equipped with two Miltenyi MACSQuant 8-color analyzers. These cytometers have the capacity to simultaneously evaluate the expression of 8 different proteins as well as the size and other parameters of individual cells. The cytometers can be utilized to study both blood cancers and solid tumors.

Flow cytometry is used to the benefit of cancer research in two primary ways:

  • It can measure proliferation and survival of cancer cells present after exposure to therapeutic agents. Researchers determine how effective a certain therapy will be at killing cells from a particular cancer.
  • It can measure qualities of cancer cells such as signaling through certain receptors critical for cancer cell survival. Researchers can evaluate if these signals have been totally shut down after exposure to a cancer therapy.

Goals and Community Impact

The primary goal of the Flow Cytometry Core is to assist other components of the Cancer Center in their research efforts. The core provides tools, services and training to researchers to aid in the development of cancer therapies.

These new therapies have the potential to greatly benefit our community in the future. Today, flow cytometry already has tremendous impact on the community via diagnosis of blood cancers. Leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma patients receive better treatment and have better outcomes with early and accurate diagnosis.

Facility Utilization and Integration

Flow cytometry has been a critical part of cancer research projects, such as Dr. Kim Payne’s (In Memorium) Pediatric Leukemia Research Program. For this program, the facility aids in the evaluation of leukemia within animal models developed by the Patient-derived Xenograft Core. Researchers use flow cytometers to determine the percentage of leukemia cells present to understand if a particular therapy is working.

The Flow Cytometry Core also plays a part in other ongoing cancer studies here at Loma Linda University Health, including: