Department of Tissue Typing

Head of the department- Ekaterina G. Khamaganova, Doctor of Biological Sciences

The Department of Tissue Typing was established in December 2017 and functions as part of the Division of Transfusiology.

OBJECTIVES OF THE DEPARTMENT: 

• performing DNA typing of genes of the of major histocompatibility complex (HLA) in patients of the NMRC for Hematology in need of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and their potential donors using the following methods:

— NGS-next generation sequencing

— PCR-SSP (PCR + Sequence Specific Primers)

— PCR-SSO (PCR + Sequence Specific Oligonucleotides)

• the creation of a database of HLA-typed unrelated bone marrow donors/hematopoietic stem cells of the NMRC for Hematology (together with the Division of Transfusiology of the NMRC for Hematology)
• the study of anti-HLA alloimmunization in patients with indications for transplantation of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cells
• the study of the genes of killer immunoglobulin-like receptors of natural killer cells

Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) is a life-saving method for many patients with diseases of the hematopoietic system. Selection of donors for allo-HSCT is based on the results of HLA genotyping of the patient and potential donors. No more than one quarter of patients requiring allo-HSCT have an HLA-identical related donor. For all other patients, a search for an unrelated HLA-matched donor is required.

The database of voluntary, anonymous, non-gratuitous bone marrow/hematopoietic stem cell donors of the NMRC for Hematology includes 22,000 HLA-genotyped donors, 2/3 of which are HLA-typed at high and ultra—high resolution using the next generation sequencing method - NGS for 11 HLA-genes A/B/C/DRB1/DRB3,4,5/DQB1/DQA1/DPB1/DPA1. All donors in the NMRC for Hematology database are included in the All-Russian Federal Registry of Bone Marrow/Hematopoietic Stem Cell Donors.

DEPARTMENT EQUIPMENT:

• Automatic stations for mass and single nucleic acid extraction QIAsymphony and QIAcube (Qiagen, Germany)
• High-performance 2nd generation sequencers Illumina MiSeq System (USA) and FastaSeq 300 (China), which enable HLA typing of patients and donors using next generation sequencing (NGS) with stable data quality and accelerated high-quality results
• a set of equipment for polymerase chain reaction (PCR), including 4 amplifiers, as well as equipment for conducting visualization and documentation of gel electrophoresis
• Luminex 200 device for multiplex analysis of HLA genes by PCR-SSO method and detection of anti-HLA antibodies, including donor-specific antibodies
• QuantStudio instrument (USA) for real-time amplification

DEPARTMENT STAFF:

• Head of the Department, Doctor of Biological Sciences Ekaterina G. Khamaganova (member of the European Federation of Immunogenetics)
• senior researcher, Candidate of Biological Sciences
• 2 researchers
• 4 doctors of clinical and laboratory diagnostics, one of whom is a Candidate of Biological Sciences
• 2 medical technologists

KEY EMPLOYEES:

Elena P. Kuzminova — senior researcher, Candidate of Biological Sciences (2013). Elena Kuzminova graduated from the Faculty of Biology of the Chelyabinsk State University and then continued her postgraduate studies at the same university. She has been working at the NMRC for Hematology since 2013. She actively participates in the creation of a database of unrelated bone marrow/hematopoietic stem cell donors of the NMRC for Hematology. Her research interests include the study of immunogenetic profiles of various Russian populations. She is a member of the European Federation for Immunogenetics.

Evgeniy A. Leonov - doctor of clinical laboratory diagnostics. Evgeniy Leonov graduated in 2016 from the I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University with a degree in preventive medicine. In 2018, he completed his residency at the NMRC for Hematology in the specialty "Clinical Laboratory Diagnostics.” He has been working in the department since that time. He often participates and presents at international and Russian immunogenetics conferences. In 2022, he defended his thesis for the degree of Candidate of Biological Sciences on the topic “Allelic and haplotypic polymorphism of HLA genes of hematopoietic stem cell donors of the registry, who identified themselves as Russian.” His research interests include sequencing human histocompatibility genes and the identification of new HLA alleles. E.A. Leonov and other employees of the Department of Tissue Typing have registered and submitted 54 new HLA alleles for registration.