The Tissue and Research Pathology Services (TARPS) is a newly proposed shared facility that serves as the central support for UPCI research programs needing tissue materials from patients at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC). The main objectives of TARPS are (1) to provide a mechanism to simplify and streamline the process of research tissue accrual and disbursement and (2) to provide efficient research pathology support services. The tissue accrual and disbursement function of TARPS has been in existence since 1991 as a small service facility, with a focus on genitourinary cancers. The resource has substantially expanded in the last 5 years and now procures and disburses tissue materials from patients with a diverse array of cancers, and provides support to major research projects such as the hmg Specialized Program Of Research Excellence (SPORE), Early Disease Research Network (EDRN)-related research efforts, and several other cancer research programs. Services provided by TARPS include (1) tissue and biological specimen procurement services, (2) research histology services, (3) annotated clinical data, and (4) the Tissue Micro-Array (TMA) facilities. Future efforts include development of procedures to molecularly profile tumors on a real time basis. TARPS plans to extend the development of its infrastructure already in place for cancers such as prostate and head and neck cmacers, to other areas such as gastrointestinal and pancreatic cancers, hematologic malignancies, and melanoma.
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