Resource Report

URL: http://pathology.wustl.edu/research/tissue.php

Proper Citation: Washington University Tissue Bank (RRID:SCR_004876)

Description: The Tissue Procurement Core Facility and Tumor Bank is a collaborative effort between the Siteman Cancer Center and the Department of Pathology and Immunology. This shared resource facility provides the resources, infrastructure, and technologies for biospecimen-based translational pathology research. Services include: Tissue Procurement, Processing, and Storage; Archival Frozen Tissue Bank; and Laser Capture Microdissection. * Tissue Procurement, Processing, and Storage: For investigators initiating new protocols that involve biospecimen collection (e.g. solid tissues, blood, bone marrow), the Core can provide model consent forms and personnel to collect specimens through the Division of Surgical Pathology and other clinical sites on campus. Solid tissues are usually snap frozen in the surgical pathology suite, although investigators may request alternate preservation methods. Blood specimens are generally processed to frozen serum aliquots and peripheral leukocyte cell pellets. Other specimens (e.g. lymph node needle aspirations) that may be obtained in a variety of other patient care areas can be collected and processed immediately by a staff member who is on call at all times to receive specimens. * Archival Frozen Tissue Bank: For investigators desiring immediate access to material for molecular and histological studies, an archive of over 18,000 frozen human biospecimens is available. Specimens include solid tumors, patient-matched non-malignant tissue, serum, and peripheral blood leukocytes. Each specimen is accompanied with basic patient demographic information and pathology diagnostic data. Generally, each frozen tissue specimen is reviewed to confirm that the specimen is representative of the written pathology diagnosis. Investigators may request frozen tissue sections for immunohistochemical analysis, genomic DNA, protein extracts, or cellular RNA derived from any specimen in the archive. * RNA Assessment: Cellular RNA prepared by the Core from banked specimens or any other RNA submitted by investigators can be qualitatively assessed by Agilent Bioanalyzer capillary microelectrophoresis and quantified by fiberoptic spectrophotometry, prior to use for downstream applications such as microarray or qRT-PCR analysis. * Laser Capture Microdissection: Pure cell populations are often needed for clonality, loss of heterozygosity (LOH), gene mutation, and mRNA expression analysis studies. The Core''s Pixcell II Laser Capture Microdissection (LCM) instrument can be used to dissect pure populations of cells from heterogeneous tissue sections. The instrument greatly enhances the speed and ease of dissection as compared to traditional manual methods. The instrument is available for use to investigators who wish to microdissect cells from either specimens stored in the Tissue Procurement Core or their own sets of collected tissue specimens.

Abbreviations: Washington University Tissue Procurement/Tumor Bank

Synonyms: RNA Assessment; WUSTL Tissue Procurement Core Facility and Tumor Bank, WUSTL Tissue Procurement/Tumor Bank, Washington University Tissue Procurement Core Facility and Tumor Bank

Resource Type: biomaterial supply resource, material resource

Keywords: solid tissue, blood, bone marrow, lymph node needle aspiration, tissue, solid tumor, patient-matched non-malignant tissue, serum, peripheral blood leukocyte, dna, protein extract, rna, cell, snap frozen, alternate preservation, frozen serum aliquot, peripheral leukocyte cell pellet, frozen