The Translational Research Tissue Support Resource, a constellation of three facilities under the supervision of the Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, provides human specimens for basic and translational research to further the understanding of the cellular and molecular pathogenesis of human cancers. The overall mission is to facilitate access to human tissue for investigators with IRB approval. These centralized services play a critical role in RPCI's scientific and translational research efforts. Over 92% of the use was by CCSG Program members, and the Resource supported acquisition of peer-reviewed funding and publications. Tissue Procurement provides anonymous fresh and frozen tissue to investigators requiring unfixed human tissue and provides assistance in protocol design, completion of documentation necessary for IRB approval, and preparation of the memorandum of understanding for the Department of Occupational and Environmental Safety. The activity of this facility is described in an IRB-approved protocol that is reviewed annually. The Paraffin Archive is a repository of organ-specific neoplastic and non-neoplastic formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue. Researchers are provided with fixed, paraffin embedded tissue from three patient groups: familial cancers (ovary, breast, colon); nonfamilial cancers with follow-up information (breast, lung, colon, pancreas, prostate); and major and minor cancers without follow-up data. Researchers have access to a large, diverse collection of cancers computerized by organ site, tumor type, degree of differentiation, and stage. Over 900 cases of ovary, breast, colon, lung, pancreas, and liver tumors have been archived. The facility offers automated immunohistochemistry, in situ hybridization, PCR, Laser Capture Microdissection, pathologist interpretation, and DNA and RNA extraction. A tissue microarray library is under development by disease site and tumor type. The Leukemia Tissue Bank processes and cryopreserves cell samples from patients with hematologic disorders for analysis of a variety of molecular pathogenetic and prognostic characteristics.
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