The Specimen Core provides part of the infrastructure support for Projects 1 - 5 as well as for future pilot and developmental projects. It has been designed to meet the needs of these projects plus serve as a stand- alone resource for collaborative efforts with other SPOREs. This Core will provide a well-organized and standardized system of specimen collection, storage, distribution and related clinical/research information dissemination that is based on over two decades of experience. There will be consistency and quality assurance in the pathological analysis of tissue specimens. Furthermore, the centralized management of the specimens will facilitate their distribution based upon the priorities defined by a panel of investigators familiar with all of our SPORE research endeavors. The operations of this Core group into 5 components: 1. Specimen acquisition, processing, quality control, storage and accessioning into databases. 2. A development program to continually improve the quality and efficiency with which we obtain tissue samples and derivative products. 3. A prostate cancer xenograft maintenance, development and study program. 4. Laboratory services, including interpretation of tissues and tissue localization studies by a urologic pathologist, immunohistochemistry (IHC), quantitative RT-PCR, and immunoassays, i.e. PSA, and tissue culture. The Core will also perform pre-clinical studies using our xenograft resources, and 5. An administrative program to obtain samples from minority patients, prioritize the distribution of specimens, conduct a quality control program, ensure patient confidentiality and compliance with IRB requirements, and to interact with other prostate SPOREs. The performance of translational research mandates that investigators have ready access to well documented clinical specimens and relevant biological models. The investigators directing the Biospecimen Core have decades of experience in recognizing these needs and providing such services not only to local investigators but to those who request specimens on a world-wide basis. For example, samples of specimens from our rapid autopsy program (e.g. prostate cancer bone metastases) and our LuCaP series of prostate cancer xenografts have been distributed internationally. In this renewal, such interactions with our own SPORE investigators, those collaborations with other SPORE investigators and collaborations with non- SPORE investigators will be a high priority. This will truly enhance the translational aspects of the NW Prostate Cancer SPORE.
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