BioIVT introduces COVID-19 panel for immune response research
About Biospecimens
How well are patients building immune responses to COVID-19 vaccinations? A panel that contains serum or peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) isolated from pre- and post-vaccination blood samples can help.
BioIVT, a Westbury, New York-based company that provides research models and services for drug and diagnostic development, recently introduced its COVID-19 Vaccination Panel. The panel is composed of pre- and post-vaccination serum or PBMC samples, to enable researchers to study blood donors’ vaccine-generated immune response.
Since the beginning of the pandemic last year, BioIVT has been providing more than 300 clients with biospecimens to support the development of COVID-19 diagnostic assays and therapeutic interventions. Those biospecimens have included saliva, serum, plasma, PBMCs, fresh whole blood, bulk plasma and bulk serum from acute COVID-19 cases and recovered donors, together with representative diagnostic polymerase chain reaction or serological antibody test results to verify infection and /or exposure. The BioIVT samples are provided with donor social, demographic and co-morbidity data, together with the date of onset, symptoms, and severity of their COVID-19 infection where available, according to the company.
As Cathie G. Miller, PhD, Senior Director of Marketing, Personalized Medicine at BioIVT, explained, “Building on that experience, BioIVT is introducing this longitudinal collection to support clients investigating immune responses to the COVID-19 vaccines. As the global rollout of COVID-19 vaccines continues, BioIVT is helping to maximize the clinical data collected and increase scientific knowledge of vaccine efficacy in different donor populations. We already have donors enrolled and initial samples processed, and we will continue to expand this inventory.”
She added, “The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated advancements in diagnostic, therapeutic, and vaccine development. BioIVT supported these studies by leaning on our experience and knowledge in biospecimen procurement, donor outreach, IRB-approved collection / processing protocols and data and sample validation.”
Dr. Miller discussed BioIVT’s COVID-19-related capabilities further at the Molecular Medicine Tri-Con Virtual Conference & Expo on Wednesday, February 17. Her session was entitled “Rising to the COVID-19 Challenge: A case study of rapid implementation of COVID-19 sample collections,” showing how the company is working to provide much needed COVID-19 samples to researchers throughout the world.
BioIVT’s COVID-19 Vaccination Panel includes samples that were obtained from donors at three times: pre-COVID-19 vaccination; more than 14 days after the first vaccine administration (but before the second); and more than 14 days after the second vaccine administration. Although serum and isolated PBMCs will be the main biospecimens processed, other biospecimens from confirmed COVID-19 vaccinated donors will also be available to meet specific client needs.
BioIVT specializes in control and disease-state biospecimens including human and animal tissues, cell products, blood and other biofluids. Its portfolio of clinical specimens directly supports precision medicine research and the effort to improve patient outcomes by coupling comprehensive clinical data with donor samples. As a supplier of hepatic products, including hepatocytes and subcellular fractions, BioIVT helps scientists to better understand the pharmacokinetics and drug metabolism of newly discovered compounds and their effects on disease processes.