Human Tissue Resource Center

University Of Chicago, Chicago IL

Investigators

Linked publications, trials & patents

Abstract

The University of Chicago Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Center (UCCCC) aims to improve the prevention, detection, and treatment of cancer through our basic, clinical, translational, and large-scale cohort studies. The effective procurement, storage, distribution, and analysis of human biospecimens are central to this research, and the maintenance and expansion of these state-of-the-art facilities is vital to the future success of our cancer programs. Established in 2001, the Human Tissue Resource Center (HTRC) supports the effective procurement, storage, use, and analysis of human biospecimens for University of Chicago Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Center (UCCCC) investigators. The HTRC is a College of American Pathologists (CAP)-accredited biorepository. The facility occupies ~4,000 square feet of renovated space and functions as an integrated unit. The HTRC is comprised of four integrated Subcores: the Biospecimen Bank, Laser Capture Microdissection, Digital Pathology, and Histology Services Subcores. The HTRC provides services for the collection of clinically annotated human tissues, as well as blood, serum, plasma, saliva, urine, stool and peripheral blood mononuclear cells for cancer research. In addition, HTRC provides collaborative services for histopathology, immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization, laser capture microdissection (LCM), tissue microarray preparation (TMA), quantitative image analysis, and nucleic acid extraction. In this way, we provide a coordinated, centralized, and dedicated program for procuring, processing, dispersing, and assessing biospecimens. In the reporting period, HTRC supported 125 unique UCCCC members (29% MMC, 12% CPC, 16% IC, 42% CET), supporting their scientific needs and meeting the strategic objectives of UCCCC. During this cycle, HTRC also supported 176 cancer-relevant federal grants, and 201 cancer-relevant peer reviewed publications (53% in journals with impact factor ≥ 10). In summary, the HTRC is dedicated to our mission of procuring, processing, storing, distributing and analyzing human cancer biospecimens in a manner that will improve the prevention, detection, and treatment of cancer through UCCCC’s basic, clinical, translational, and large-scale cohort studies. We will pursue forward-thinking strategies to facilitate ongoing and future cancer research and provide cutting edge services that will accelerate scientific progress.