The purpose of the Biobanking and Correlative Sciences (BCS) Core is to enhance the peer reviewed, funded research activities of KCI members whose research requires IRB-approved access to patient tissue for preclinical and clinical studies and to support clinical trials by managing tissue specimens and providing circulating tumor cell counting. The BCS Core is grouped in the Cross Disciplinary Research Core Cluster which, in addition to the BCS Core, includes the Biostatistics, Genomics, and Pharmacology Cores. The BCS Core provides KCI investigators with high quality, well-annotated tumor tissue specimens for pre- clinical studies and coordinates requests for tumor tissues with the Genomics, Pharmacology and Proteomics Cores. Disease site-specific pathologists review tissues for selection of appropriate samples. This ensures there is appropriate and adequate tissue in the amounts and numbers needed for a given study to provide biologically meaningful results as determined by the Biostatistics Core. Institutional funds support the contributions of the pathologists. Fresh frozen specimens in the KCI Biobank are stored in eight -80?C freezers, which are temperature monitored and have back up emergency power. All specimens are barcoded and stored in cryosafe containers. Secured cabinets store formalin-fixed paraffin embedded (FFPE) specimens and any prepared slides from the biospecimens. Each biospecimen is logged into the KCI database, OnCore, with its precise location, associated informed consent, pathology report, and amount of available tissue. Histology services are supported by a tissue processor, a tissue embedder, microtomes, a cryostat, and other ancillary histology equipment. For pharmacodynamic assays, the core contains a Janssen Cell Search Circulating Tumor Cell system, which enables investigators to enumerate and/or isolate circulating tumor cells. The services provided by the Biobanking and Correlative Sciences Core have contributed to 21 peer- reviewed publications during the current review period.
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