A turning point for advanced diagnostics
Clinical Immunology Services
An anchor resident of the PHTA, Clinical Immunology Services (CIS) provides a comprehensive range of accredited lab services to facilitate the diagnosis of autoimmune and neuroimmunological disease, blood cancers, primary and secondary immunodeficiency, infections and allergy.
The CIS team offers the only service of its kind to be embedded within an academic environment, providing an ideal interface between translational and clinical research groups, the NHS, and the pharmaceutical and bio-diagnostic industries.
What we do
Clinical Immunology Services is a unique intersection of skills, with biomedical scientists, clinical scientists and researchers coming together to not only provide NHS diagnostic testing, but also to innovate – we have the expertise to run clinical trials, commercialise new diagnostics, and translate them into clinical practice.
Our mission is to develop high-quality, reliable immunology diagnostics and services that set new standards in healthcare, driving global improvements in patient care and health economic outcomes.
We strive to collaborate with leading corporate partners to leverage our deep clinical and scientific expertise.
Clinical Immunology Services (CIS) is committed to advancing patient care through comprehensive immunological evaluations, delivering accurate and timely diagnostic results
As an ISO 15189 UKAS-accredited provider, we specialise in immunodiagnostic and blood cancer services
Our clinical service is underpinned by our cutting-edge translational research, and the development of innovative, reliable diagnostic tests
Our unique positioning within an academic institution, serving and co-located with partner NHS Trust and clinical trial capabilities, enables us to contribute to the forefront of medical research
We are dedicated to training the next generation of clinical and academic scientists, fostering a future-ready workforce that will continue to pioneer advancements in the field of immunology
Our services
Our highly-skilled staff, backed by a comprehensive Quality Management System, can support you with:
Routine services
- More than 100,000 tests per year
- 50 NHS Trusts served nationwide
- UKAS-accredited
- Specialised cell function / flow cytometry testing
Research
- Blood cancer
- Vaccine immunogenicity
- Immune deficiency
- Infectious diseases
Diagnostics
- Immunoassay design and development
- ELISA
- Lateral flow
- Tech transfer
Examples of tests we have designed to solve clinical or logistical hurdles include:
- Measles point-of-care finger prick test to enable targeted vaccination and support efficient cold chains
- Salivary tetanus antibody point-of-care test to enable immunity screening in children
- Digitally connected point-of-care tests to enable patients to monitor conditions at home
- Islet cell antibody point of care finger prick test to enable type 1 diabetes screening
Examples of our commercially-developed immunoassays include:
- Freelite ® – serum free light chain assay adopted worldwide
- Seralite ® – lateral flow for rapid quantification of serum free light chain levels
- COVID GAM ® – a highly sensitive SARS-CoV-2 antibody ELISA optimized for seroepidemiology
Clinical trials
- Access to diverse patient samples from all disease states, two University of Birmingham clinical trials units and central laboratory testing
- High throughput sample processing
- Documentation
Partner with us
We can work with you in a number of ways depending on your needs. Explore how we can work together below:
Academia
With academic partners, we can:
- Partner with you in research areas in which our interests and expertise overlap
- Further your research with clinical studies / trials which require specific patient sample types (archive and prospectively)
Private or spin-out companies
If you’re a private or spin-out company developing immunoassays, we can:
- Assist with the R&D process, optimisation etc for multiple assay types
- Help with clinical studies / trials which require specific patient sample types (archive and prospectively)
Established immunoassay manufacturers
If you’re an established immunoassay manufacturer with a laboratory platform looking for menu expansion, we can:
- Discuss our portfolio and where existing assays could be ported to your platform.
- Partner with you to develop new assays you require to expand your menu
- This would include development finalisation and, if required, the ensuing clinical studies/validation
- All work performed under our UKAS-quality system, and compatible with your design transfer documentation and processes
NHS testing labs
For NHS testing laboratories, we can:
- Perform a large number of clinical diagnostic tests against pre-agreed turnaround times. (assays, prices and TAT targets are available to clinical testing bodies upon request)
- Partner with you to develop new assays you have identified as beneficial for new or existing clinical pathways
Clinical trials
- Study endpoints (primary exploratory)
- Mature trials with long-term outcomes
- Sample biobanks
- Trials compliance