Our previous SPORE had separate Cores for tissue collection/curation (old Core A: National Tissue Resource) and for pathologic evaluation (old Core C: Pathology), but in this new application they are combined in one Core, the National Tissue Resource and Pathology Core (NTRPC), since they are highly integrated and work closely with one another. The NTRPC also collaborates closely with Core B (Biostatistics and Data Management), which is responsible for informatics to manage inventory and annotation data. The objectives of the NTPRC are: (1) To provide centralized support for acquisition, banking, management, and distribution of tissue within the SPORE, and to maintain and update the databases with annotation and follow-up associated with these tissues. We will manage and distribute tissue and data from legacy inventories to qualified researchers, inside and outside our SPORE;collect, quality control, manage, and distribute newly acquired breast cancer materials including clinical trial specimens to qualified researchers;and annotate materials already in the collections from appropriately consented subjects with additional clinical, pathologic and follow-up information. (2) To provide histologic assessment and quality control of these tissues, along with tissue-based studies such as IHC using these clinical specimens as well as mouse tissues from the preclinical experiments. We will quality control and perform accurate pathologic assessment of tumors;and coordinate and manage the pathology support for the SPORE projects, developing new assays as required and working with the investigators to determine the methodologies most appropriate for their needs. The NTRPC is a continuation of two existing, well-functioning, and absolutely essential Cores. Although the guidelines state that
Lack access to high quality, well annotated clinical specimens is a major impediment to progress in translational research. Core A has a long-standing and exemplary track record for making such tissues available to investigators inside and outside the SPORE. Further, breast cancer is a heterogeneous disease that requires trained histotechnologists, and very experienced pathologists to perform and interpret assays, and to properly handle valuable pre-clinical and highly annotated clinical specimens.
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