We hypothesize that a tissue bank organized around an integrated histologic and molecular diagnostic laboratory with all research and clinical information available from a constantly updated database is an essential element to the success of this SPORE. To test this hypothesis we propose the following 4 Specific Aims: (1) to provide DNA, RNA, and tissue from neoplastic brain as well as DNA, RNA, tissue, and serum from normal blood, brain, and other body sites to programs and investigators within the SPORE, in a manner in which they can be used for a variety of studies and techniques under the oversight of the SPORE Tissue Committee; (2) to apply an integrated tissue bank/clinical data informatics system that allows the rapid identification of patient groups based on common demographics, clinical data, tissue diagnoses, and/or imaging studies and the efficient management and analysis of data from research results and clinical outcome under the oversight of a Tissue Committee; (3) to provide molecular genetic, molecular cytogenetic, and histologie analysis of banked samples in order to detect markers of classification, grading, and therapeutic response and to translate these findings into clinical trials with all projects in this SPORE. (4) to provide qualitative and quantitative assessments at the molecular, cellular, and histologic level of markers discovered in this SPORE for the translation of these basic discoveries into clinical trials. Initially we will characterize intratumoral and intertumoral heterogeneity and the diagnostic and prognostic significance of immunoreactivity for alkylguanine transferase (AGT), for the newly identified tumor glial cell surface markers MRP3, EGFR, and EGFRvIII, for glutathione S-transferase P1 (GSTP1) and for CMV antigen, pp65, in malignant human gliomas.
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