The University of Pittsburgh Head and Neck Cancer SPORE will establish a Histology/Tissue Banking Core to ensure efficient use of head and neck tissue specimens and provide routine and specialized histologic evaluation of these tissues for the SPORE's research projects. The goal is to provide sufficient and well-characterized tissues of the highest quality in support of research studies in this SPORE and those of collaborating SPORE institutions. Tissue specimens as well as blood and body fluid samples will be systematically collected from head and neck cancer patients or from non-cancer patients to be used as controls. The Core will be responsible for collection, triage, processing and distribution or storage of specimens and tissue histopathology, immunohistochemistry, and interpretation. Research specimens, including snap-frozen, OCT-embedded, archival or fresh tissue blocks, cells (tumor or tumor infiltrating lymphocytes) dissociated from tissues, peripheral blood mononuclear cells, and paraffin embedded or frozen tissue sections for immunohistochemical analysis and tissue microarrays, will be triaged for distribution to the investigators, as specified by the research protocol. Microdissection of tissues and extraction of DNA and/or RNA for molecular assays will also be performed. The Core will bank any samples that are not used immediately by the SPORE investigators for future use by SPORE developmental research projects and SPORE projects at collaborating institutions. Histopathologic analysis by the Core Pathologists will confirm the quality of and the presence of the expected target tissue in research specimens. Immunohistochemistry will be used to detect cellular biomarkers, whose expression in target tissues may be correlated with clinical outcome. The Core will track samples and facilitate the sharing of specimens by the research laboratories according to a priority schema to be reviewed and approved by the Executive Committee of the SPORE. Specimen processing, inventory, and distribution data and histopathologic analysis results will be maintained in the Core's computerized database with links to the Bioinformatics component of the Biostatistics Core for storage and archiving to facilitate a web-based retrieval system. This database will be designed for use by all SPORE investigators.
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