TISSUE AND BLOOD BANK CORE

University Of Pittsburgh At Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh PA

Investigators

Linked publications & trials

Abstract

The Tissue and Blood Bank Core for the Lung Cancer SPORE will serve as a shared resource for the main[unreadable] Research Projects and for the Career Development and Developmental Research Programs. The Core will[unreadable] collect, process, store and distribute tissue and body fluid specimens from patients diagnosed with lung[unreadable] cancer or with suspected lung cancer, and from subjects who are members of the PLuSS cohort and the[unreadable] PLuSS High-Risk Sub-Cohort. Triage and distribution of all specimens will be prioritized according to a plan[unreadable] established with all SPORE investigators, and approved by the Tissue and Blood Bank Core Pathologists.[unreadable] The Core will procure and triage fresh human lung tissue, including tumor, adjacent uninvolved, and normal[unreadable] tissues distal from the tumor, and bronchial biopsies of the airway, from lung cancer patients undergoing[unreadable] resections or bronchoscopies, as well as individuals undergoing these procedures for reasons other than[unreadable] ung cancer. After triage under sterile conditions, tissues designated by the Core Pathologist as normal or[unreadable] abnormal will be either immediately distributed to investigators for tissue culture, protein analysis, RNA[unreadable] analysis, or DMA analysis, or will be stored for future use. Lymphocytes, serum, and plasma will be[unreadable] separated from other blood components and used immediately or stored for future analysis. Fragments of[unreadable] tissue will also be formalin-fixed for paraffin embedding. Fixed tumor blocks from patients enrolled in clinical[unreadable] trials will also be obtained and stored by the Core. Some paraffin embedded specimens will be sectioned,[unreadable] examined by a Core Pathologist and normal and abnormal area separated by microdissection; others will be[unreadable] used for the preparation of tissue microarrays (TMAs). The Core will also carry out EGFR mutation analyses[unreadable] on microdissected tumor specimens and will utilize tumor tissue sections for EGFR amplification analyses by[unreadable] fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). The Core will also carry out routine and special pathology such as[unreadable] immunohistochemistry, morphometry, digital imaging and photography. Tissue/fluid procurement will be[unreadable] linked to ongoing SPORE projects and modifications will be made as necessary to meet any changes in[unreadable] SPORE research goals. All tissues will be collected through IRB-approved protocols on which Tissue and[unreadable] Blood Bank Core pathologists will be co-investigators. The Tissue and Blood Bank Core will take advantage[unreadable] of the UPCI infrastructure already existing for procurement of tissue and will not duplicate it.