Core A: Biospecimens

University Of Iowa, Iowa City IA

Investigators

Linked publications, trials & patents

Abstract

Biospecimens Core – Summary The Iowa Neuroendocrine Tumor (NET) SPORE Biospecimens Core provides a coordinated, centralized, and dedicated service for the procurement, processing and annotation of biospecimens from patients in our Iowa NET Registry and also from SEER Residual and Iowa Virtual Tissue Repositories (RTR, VTR). The goal of the Biospecimens Core is to procure a variety of biologic specimens from patients with NETs referred to Iowa, supplemented as needed by formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue blocks from the RTR and VTR. Specimens will be obtained at surgery from patients who have signed the IRB-approved NET Registry Consent, which allows collection of fresh tumor tissue, which can be either dispensed immediately for direct proteomics analysis and spheroid culture, or rapidly frozen and stored under conditions that optimize their utility for genetic and molecular studies. In addition, FFPE specimens will be obtained through the Iowa Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) registry, which is directed by Dr Mary Charlton. Tissues from the Iowa SEER registry can be obtained from both the RTR and the VTR assuring the Core has access to large numbers of a wide variety of NET tissues. The specific aims of the Biospecimens Core are: 1. Collect, process, bank, and distribute excess surgical specimens from patients and family members who have signed consent to participate in the NET Registry. 2. Acquire, process, and distribute de-identified NET FFPE specimens obtained through the Iowa SEER RTR and VTR. 3. Provide accurate diagnosis and grade on all tumor specimens according to contemporary World Health Organization (WHO) Tumors Classifications. 4. Validate and deploy novel immunohistochemistry markers. 5. Enter and maintain data obtained from studies (histologic and biomarker-based) performed on de- identified specimens from RTR and VTR. 6. To promote utilization of data and specimens for purposes of advancing NET research and publications All specimens are collected and processed under tight quality control, tracked and distributed to SPORE researchers or banked for future SPORE research projects. The Iowa NET Database tracks the acquisition, distribution, and results obtained on these specimens in REDCap, allowing integration with data collected in research projects. There has been extensive utilization of biospecimens, including use of fresh tumor, frozen tumor, and adjacent normal tissue acquired at surgery as well as germline DNA and plasma from patients whose clinical and phenotypic data are in our Iowa NET Database. We will continue to accrue new patient samples and work with investigators to utilize this increasingly valuable resource to support translational research projects in neuroendocrine tumors.