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Serological Sciences Network Capacity Building Centers

As part of the NCI Serological Sciences Network (SeroNet), NCI has awarded subcontracts, through the Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research (FNLCR), to four research institutions to standardize SARS-CoV-2 serological testing, to develop serological assays to test for COVID-19 antibodies, and to conduct serosurveillance studies. The four centers are

  • Arizona State University (Tempe, AZ)
    The Arizona State University (ASU) Capacity Building Center is conducting a multicenter project to investigate the immune responses to COVID-19 vaccines and infections in both immunocompromised and healthy children and adults from diverse backgrounds. The ASU center is also developing the Multiplex In-Solution Protein Array (MISPA) assay, which can examine thousands of samples for serological responses to hundreds of proteins to detect antibodies against SARS-CoV-2, seasonal coronaviruses, respiratory viruses, flaviviruses, and immunomodulators.
  • Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research (Manhasset, NY)
    The Feinstein-Northwell Capacity Building Center is enrolling a cohort of 600 individuals, including approximately 100 with a history of autoimmune disease, who are receiving COVID-19 booster immunizations and following them for 1 to 2 years. Participants will have their blood drawn and complete a self-reported clinical assessment at five time points during follow-up. This center has also been developing methods for the measurement of anti-interferon antibodies, which may influence the course and severity of COVID-19.
  • University of Minnesota (Minneapolis, MN)
    The University of Minnesota (UMN) Capacity Building Center is conducting longitudinal serosurveillance studies to assess COVID-19 vaccine immune responses in patients who are immunocompromised due to a history of cancer, transplant, or HIV. UMN is also developing new types of assays to measure components of the immune response to SARS-CoV-2, including an ultra-sensitive method for detecting antibodies in blood or saliva.
  • Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (New York, NY)
    The Mount Sinai Capacity Building Center is conducting serosurveillance programs with the goal of reducing disparities in COVID-19 outcomes in cohorts of people who are significantly immunocompromised, such as people with a history of solid organ transplant, multiple myeloma, or inflammatory bowel disease. Mount Sinai is also developing assays to characterize mucosal immune responses, assays that distinguish vaccination-induced immunity from infection-induced immunity, and assays that don’t require a highly secure BSL3-level laboratory environment and can be run in a less secure BSL2 laboratory environment.
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