Mission/Purpose: The mission of the Tumor Tissue Core Laboratory is to facilitate translational cancer research by collecting and supplying high quality, well annotated human tissues (neoplastic and normal) to CCCWFU investigators. The Tumor Tissue Core carries out this mission by maintaining a repository of patient-derived tumors and matched normal tissues that are accompanied by pertinent clinical information, and by providing a Web-based database of available tumor and normal tissues for investigators to examine. Additionally, the Tumor Tissue Core assists investigators with custom collection of fresh human tissue samples for prospective translational research projects. The Tumor Tissue Core collaborates with the Cancer Biomedical Informatics Grid (caBIG?) initiative to link the core with other such repositories, nationally. Assets: The Tumor Tissue Core maintains a Web-based database for interaction of investigators with Core personnel and access to banked tissue inventories, as well as a functional instance linked to the caBIG? grid. The Tumor Tissue Core Laboratory is based in a fully functional research laboratory located on the 4th floor of the Hanes Building for processing tumor tissue samples. Presently, the Core maintains four -80?C freezers. Additionally, the Core has access to a Hacker motor-driven cryostat (maintained by the Cellular Imaging Core), an Agilent BioAnalyzer for RNA quality analysis (maintained by the MicroArray Core) and an Arcturus Pixcell ll/Olympus laser capture microscope for tissue microdissection (maintained by the Cellular Imaging Core). Usage: In the last year the Tumor Tissue Core collected 5354 tissue vials for research purposes. 1019 tissue vials were disbursed for 22 research projects. 88% of the disbursed tissue vials were utilized by CCCWFU members. The Tumor Tissue Core presently has over 22,000 tissue vials from >7000 patients, provided by 44 institutional surgeons. We have a comprehensive quality control protocol for monitoring sample quality. Future Directions: In the next funding cycle, the capabilities and utilization of the Tumor Tissue Core will be expanded by: (1) adding the caTIES and caARRAY modules that provide improved tissue annotation to the caTISSUE suite that is already grid enabled at our Cancer Center;(2) offering pilot fund RFA's to bolster the utilization of banked tissues;(3) increasing specimen utilization by the cancer genomics program that is part of the CCCWFU strategic plan;and (4) Adding a bar code scanner mechanism for more timely entry of collected sample information.
This Shared Resource provides an adequate supply of high quality human tissue with appropriate annotation that is easily accessible by Cancer Center investigators. Successful grant applications and individual projects require a concerted effort by surgeons, pathologists, clinicians, basic scientists, and technicians to collect and maintain a biorepository that adheres to the best practices of human tissue collection. The Shared Resource at Wake Forest University School of Medicine has made it a priority to provide this service to its members.
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