Objective/function

• The laboratory is active in the field of allergy and immunopharmacology of inflammation

Service provided

• In vitro tests on human mast cells and on human eosinophils on the inhibitory activity of potential drugs, assessed in short term (30 min) or long term (18 hrs) cultures. Preformed granular mediators and released arachidonic acid metabolites and cytokines/chemokines are evaluated 
• In vivo assessment of potential anti-allergic activity of drugs in the following four models of allergy in mice: 1) Passive cutaneous anaphylaxis (POA); 2) allergic peritonitis (AP); 3) short- term acute asthma (1 month) (SAA); 4) long-term chronic asthma (3 months) (LCA).

Advantages

• The staff of the Allergy and Immunopharmacology Laboratory has extensive expertise in this field, state-of-the-art facilities as well as access to all necessary tests.

Client service record

• Fisons (UK)
• Glaxo (UK)
• Dompe (Italy)
• RPR (France)
• Rotta Pharm (Italy)
• Teva (Israel)
• Sigma (Israel)
• Biotecon(Germany)

Available equipment

• Microscopes, centrifuges, bath incubators, PCR machine; equipment for RNA, DNA and protein gel electrophoresis; spectrophotometer
• Becton Dickinson FACScalibur [four laser beams] and a cell sorter with a separate Macintosh computer and CellQuest software
• Cytocentrifuge
• Tissue culture room with two laminar flow hoods, two CO2 incubators, centrifuges, microscopes, freezers
• Two cold rooms for work and as storage rooms for reagents
• Access to inter-departmental facility with b and g counters, cell sorters, ultracentrifuges, NMR, confocal microscopy, electron microscopy

Staff

• Micha Ben Zimra, PhD
• Dalia Pickholtz, BSc