The Critical Technologies for Tissue Services (CTTS) Shared Resource, sited in the Departs of Pathology and EPH, is the evolutionary next step following the previously highly rated YCC Critical Technologies Shared resource (SR). The central theme of this SR is to optimize use of human tissue samples for research. The experience of the past ten years indicates that the success of the program resides in the integration of knowledge and process that enables the application of diverse technologies to a single tissue sample. A modular architecture that integrates tissue procurement & banking, research histology, tissue micro-array and selected modalities of tissue analysis insures a high level of competence at the same time that it guaranties the integration necessary to wisely procure and use tissue obtained from cancer patients. The CTTS features the following modules: Tissue Procurement and Banking (TPB), Research Histology (RH), Tissue Microarray (TMA), and Tissue Analysis (TAM). Management of this SR by a cohesive group of consultants and module managers results in a highly efficient infrastructure to support research use of the precious materials derived from patients. Since the last competitive renewal two new modules, Tissue Microarray and Tissue Analysis have been added to this SR: These new modules complement the already existing ones, namely TPB, RH. The two new modules were developed under the auspices of the YCC as """"""""developing resources"""""""" and although it is feasible to present each module as a free-standing resource the experience accumulated during the past ten years shows that the efficient management of human tissues for very diverse cancer research purposes is best achieved under a tightly integrated organization. The TPB Module has supported 12 YCC member users from 7 of the 8 research programs, which represents 94% (88.21% Peer reviewed) of overall use. The RH Module has supported 59 YCC member users from all 8 research programs, which represents 57% (50% Peer reviewed) of overall use. The TMA Module has supported 12 YCC member users from 6 of the 8 research programs, which represents 92% (66% Peer reviewed) of overall use. The TAM Module has supported 5 peer reviewed YCC member users from 2 of the 8 research programs, which represents 100% of the modules overall use. Future plans for the CTTS include the building of disease focused bio-repositories and trial based repositories that assemble tissue, biological fluids and annotation for specific cohorts of patients. We anticipate that in the process of building these repositories the CTTS will increase its interface with the Biomedical Informatics and the Clinical Research Support Resource.
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