The Tissue and Research Pathology Services (TARPS) is an existing CCSG-funded shared facility that serves as the central support for UPCI research programs that utilize tissue materials from patients at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC). The main objectives of TARPS are to provide a mechanism to simplify and streamline the process of research tissue accrual and disbursement and to provide efficient research pathology support services. The tissue accrual and disbursement function of TARPS originated in 1991 as a small service facility, with a focus on genitourinary cancers. The resource has substantially expanded in the last 18 years and now procures and disburses tissue materials from patients with a diverse array of cancers, providing support to major research projects such as the Specialized Programs Of Research Excellence (SPORE) in Head and Neck, Lung, and Skin Cancers, the Early Disease Research Network (EDRN)-related research efforts, the Hematology-Oncology Service, and several other cancer research programs. Services provided by TARPS include: (1) tissue and biological specimen procurement, (2) research histology, (3) annotation of samples with clinical data, and (4) Tissue Micro-Array (TMA) facilities. Future efforts will include the development of procedures to molecularly profile tumors on a real-time basis.
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