Institutional Tissue Bank

The Institutional Tissue Bank (ITB) at MD Anderson is a College of American Pathologists (CAP)- accredited and Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA)-certified research bio-specimen repository, developed for the purpose of collection, processing, storage and distribution of patient tissue samples, fluids, and related clinical data across MD Anderson to research investigators and beyond on behalf of the institutional protocols.

The MD Anderson Tissue Procurement and Banking Facility (TPBF) was established in 1986 and has continuously evolved to fulfill research bio-specimen requirements to support our institutional mission of Discovery.  

ITB has developed infrastructure and methods to support clinical and basic science research by ensuring  optimal conditions for sample processing prior to either quick distribution or long-term storage based on the research protocol requirements. Continuous focus on specimen quality has enhanced our capabilities to meet the increasingly complex bio-specimen needs of investigators. The services offered include assistance with sample pick-up from clinics and facilities across the institution, immediate preservation and detailed sample tracking in our data base.

The focus of  ITB is to provide efficient and cost-effective bio-specimen services to investigators and help their teams save time and funds that then can be applied to further aspects of their projects.

The Institutional Tissue Bank performs:

• Tissue sample processing (fresh, snap frozen, in media, fixed in RNA-later, frozen in OCT, fixed in formalin)
• Blood sample processing (serum and plasma centrifugation, PBMC isolation and cryopreservation)
• Bone marrow aspirate (BMA) processing
• Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) processing
• Other processing required by a specific protocol
• Shipping materials outside the institution
• Shipping of biological material collected and processed at MD Anderson on behalf of patients
• FDC (Front Door Consent) archive samples distribution

The ITB has been contributing to MD Anderson trials including the Moon Shot Program's® Immunotherapy and APOLLO platforms and the Mosaic Project.

MD Anderson researchers may request our services through MD Anderson Biospecimen Information Management System (BIMS) at https://biobank.mdanderson.edu/.