Types of Biospecimens Available

• Prospectively collected lung and head and neck specimen sets (tumor and normal tissue, serum, plasma and buffy coat) with some associated clinical and pathological information
• A number of liquid (serum, plasma, and white blood cell buffy coat) samples from participants in the Ovarian Screening Program (healthy post-menopausal women).
• Some Principal Investigators (PIs) will make specimens available for approved collaborators. Researchers wishing to contact the appropriate PI should contact the BCP to inquire about this possibility.

Specimens are being added at all times. For more information on the inventory contact a BCP staff person or you can view select inventory items at caTissue.uky.edu. 

 

 

Specimen Costs

 

BCP has established fees that remain in effect through June 2007.
Fees vary for academe and industry.  Processing tissue samples has its own fee.

 

Activity	Academe	Industry
Collect, process, store, track and distribute 200 microliter aliquots of liquid specimens	$30.00	$68.00
Collect, process, store, track and distribute up to 100 milligrams solid (tissue) specimens	$30.00	$68.00
To cut solid (tissue) specimens only	$7.50	$7.50

 

NOTE: Any collection activity includes consenting donors.

 

 

Other Biospecimen and Data Resources

 

Many tissue types are available in paraffin blocks thru the University of Kentucky Pathology Laboratory.

 

Cooperative Human Tissue Network (CHTN) can provide prospective investigator-defined procurement of malignant, benign, diseased and uninvolved (normal adjacent) tissues. The investigator can also choose from several methods to fix the specimen such as fresh, frozen, or chemically fixed. The CHTN also produces tissue microarrays (TMA) representing multiple tissue types to disease-specific blocks. Recently, the CHTN has approved the development within the divisions to isolate and distribute the raw nucleic acid to expand resources and to more readily serve investigator’s interest. Tissues are annotated with patient demographics including gender, age, and race. Additional patient information can be requested where applicable.

 

The NCI Cooperative Breast Cancer Tissue Resource (CBCTR) can provide researchers with access to approximately 9,000 cases of formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded primary breast cancer tissue, with associated pathology and clinical data. The collection is particularly well-suited for validation studies of diagnostic and prognostic markers. Contact the CBCTR website or Mr. Steve Marroulis, Information Management Services, Inc., (301)680-9770

 

The NCI Cooperative Prostate Cancer Tissue Resource (CPCTR) can provide researchers with access to over 4,000 cases of formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded primary prostate cancer specimens, with associated pathology and clinical data. Fresh-frozen tissue is available with limited clinical follow up information. The CPCTR also has prostate cancer tissue micro-arrays with associated pathology and clinical data. Contact the CPCTR website or Mr. Steve Marroulis, Information Management Services, Inc., (301) 680-9770; e-mail: tissueresources@imsweb.com.

 

The Gynecologic Oncology Group (GOG) Tissue Bank can provide malignant, benign, and normal ovarian, and cervical tissue with associated clinical information. The bank was established to provide carefully preserved specimens needed for molecular biology studies of gynecologic tumors. Contact the GOG Tissue Bank, Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH, (614) 722-2890.

 

The Cancer Family Registries (CFR) includes two international registries: the Cancer Family Registry for Breast Cancer Studies (CFRBCS) and the Cancer Family Registry for Colorectal Cancer Studies (CFRCCS). The CRFBCS provides biological specimens with associated family history, clinical, demographic and epidemiologic data from participants with a family history of breast cancer, breast/ovarian cancer, or Li-Fraumeni syndrome, and their relatives. The CFRBCS's repository is particularly suited to support interdisciplinary and translational breast cancer research. The Colorectal Cancer Studies (CFRCCS) collection includes family history information, epidemiologic and clinical data, and related biological specimens from individuals who have histories of colorectal cancer, and their families. The CRFCCS Registry is a resource for population-based, translational research in the genetic epidemiology of colorectal cancer. For information on these registries, contact the CFR website or Dr. Daniela Seminara, NCI, (301) 496-9600; e-mail: seminard@epndce.nci.nih.gov.

 

The AIDS and Cancer Specimen Resource (ACSR) provides qualified researchers with tissue, cell, blood and fluid specimens from a wide spectrum of HIV-related or associated diseases, including cancer, and from appropriate HIV-negative controls. The specimens and associated clinical data are available for research studies, particularly those that translate basic research findings to clinical application. Contact the ACSR Web site or Dr. Jodi Black, 301-402-6293; email: jb377x@nih.gov

 

The NCI Specimen Resource Locator is a database that helps researchers locate specimens for research. The database includes resources such as tissue banks and tissue procurement systems with access to normal, benign, pre-cancerous and/or cancerous human tissue covering a wide variety of organ sites. Researchers specify the types of specimens, number of cases, preservation methods and associated data they require. The Locator will search the database and return a list of tissue resources most likely to meet the requirements. When no match is obtained, the researcher is referred to the NCI Tissue Expediter (e-mail: tissexp@mail.nih.gov). The Tissue Expediter is a scientist who helps match researchers with appropriate resources or identify appropriate collaborators when those are necessary.