SPORE Tissue Resources and Pathology Cores

The functions of the Tissue Resources and Pathology Core facilities are to facilitate acquisition, preservation, analysis and utilization by researchers of clinical samples. The SPOREs listed below have specific information about their Cores and/or contact information.

Bladder Cancer SPORE

All requests for tissue are reviewed by the Tissue committee for feasibility, appropriate use of tissue and priority.

To request tissue, fill out the tissue request form (pdf) and send it to Afsaneh Keyhani, laboratory manager, Urology Research, akeyhani@mdanderson.org or Sharon Watson, grant program coordinator, GU SPORE, scwatson@mdanderson.org.

For more information, please contact:

Ashish Kamat, M.D.
Associate Professor
713-792-3250
akamat@mdanderson.org

Brain Cancer SPORE

Pathology and Tissue Procurement
Co-Directors: Kenneth Aldape, M.D., and Gregory N. Fuller, M.D., Ph.D.

The Joe Moakley Leukemia SPORE

The functions of the Pathology and Tissue Core are to facilitate acquisition, preservation, analysis and dispersal of clinical samples and to provide hematopathologic characterization and specimens for all project investigators. 

For information, please contact the Pathology and Tissue Core directors:

Steven Kornblau, M.D.
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
1515 Holcombe Blvd., Box 448
Houston, TX 77030
Office: 713-794-1568
Fax: 713-794-1938
E-mail: smkornbl@mdanderson.org

Jean-Pierre Issa, M.D.
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
1515 Holcombe Blvd., Box 428
Houston, TX 77030
Office: 713-745-2260
Fax: 713-794-4297
E-mail: jissa@mdanderson.org

Melanoma SPORE

Informatics, Tissue Resource and Pathology Core
Co-Leaders: Jeffrey E. Gershenwald, M.D., Victor G. Prieto, M.D., Ph.D.

Effective procurement and utilization of well-characterized tissue is essential in any meaningful translational research. The Informatics, Tissue Resource and Pathology Core (Core B) will work with each of the SPORE projects and with the Administrative and Biostatistics Cores to ensure maximum efficiency in the use of tissue for translational research directed at improving the prevention, detection and therapy of melanoma. 

Core B will provide investigators at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and other collaborating institutions with well-characterized, high-quality tissue, peripheral blood lymphocytes, plasma and serum samples from patients with melanoma treated at MD Anderson Cancer Center whose clinical, pathologic, follow-up and recurrence data are maintained in a comprehensive relational database. 

This SPORE facility will subsume the existing MD Anderson Cancer Center Melanoma Tissue Bank. Standardized procedures for procurement, processing, storage, quality control, histopathologic evaluation and distribution of samples will ensure optimal utilization and distribution of limited tissue samples according to the guidelines established by the Tissue Acquisition and Distribution Committee. 

A computerized Core database will track all samples from patient consent, to tissue acquisition and distribution of tissue and blood components to SPORE Projects. This system will contain comprehensive clinical information on all patients as well as relevant histopathologic characteristics for all samples and provide information on sample availability for future distribution through an NCI-sponsored tissue network. As over 900 new patients with melanoma are seen and treated at MD Anderson Cancer Center per year, this Core will be one of the largest available resources for translational research. The close relationship with the Biostatistics Core will allow an efficient analysis of the data produced by the different SPORE projects. 

Leadership for the Core is shared by a clinical investigator with expertise in melanoma patient care, database utilization and analysis of melanoma prognostic factors, and by a dermatopathologist with expertise in melanoma, including histopathologic evaluation, molecular analysis and quality-control procedures; this shared leadership will ensure maximal utilization of samples without compromising patient care. This centralized, comprehensive Core will contribute significantly to the success of the multidisciplinary and translational research projects outlined in this proposal.

Ovarian SPORE

Pathology Core
Director: Russell Broaddus, M.D., Ph.D.
Co-Director: Jinsong Liu, M.D., Ph.D.

Goals

The individual research projects that make up this Ovarian Cancer SPORE application require the procurement, processing and analysis of histopathological material from patients with ovarian cancer and benign ovarian diseases. The research projects have needs for frozen and formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded samples of tumor and normal tissue. The Pathology Core augments the already established MD Anderson Cancer Center Gynecological Tumor Bank and the P30-sponsored MD Anderson Cancer Center Centralized Tissue Repository with supporting database and intranet access. The core provides tissue acquisition by experienced gynecological pathologists to assure high-quality tissues for the investigators participating in this SPORE as well as investigators of other SPOREs. The goal of the Pathology Core is to provide frozen tissue, paraffin-embedded tissue and histopathological expertise related to the specific needs for the research projects in this SPORE.

Objectives

• To maintain a frozen and paraffin-embedded tissue repository of ovarian cancer, benign ovarian processes and normal ovary. The primary tissue source is operative and biopsy specimens submitted to the Department of Pathology at MD Anderson Cancer Center. In addition, a subcontract with Duke University provides additional ovarian tissues, particularly early stage ovarian cancers
• To provide pathological review for all clinical specimens utilized in the SPORE projects and to provide histopathological technical services as necessary. Such technical services include immunohistochemistry, in situ hybridization, creation of specific tissue microarray slides and microdissection of tissue sections
• To establish a blood/urine/ascites fluid repository from patients undergoing surgery for ovarian cancer and benign ovarian processes. These fluids provide the resources for the systemic testing of putative prognostic and diagnostic markers derived from tissue-based expression array and CGH experiments
• To create and maintain a SPORE database for all samples collected at both MD Anderson Cancer Center and Duke University. This SPORE database is a virtual tissue repository that is electronically shared by all SPORE investigators

Prostate Cancer SPORE

The function of the Tissue Resource and Pathology Core is to systematically collect and store tissue and blood samples, cell lines and xenografts from MD Anderson patients with prostate cancer and distribute these high-quality samples and detailed information on them to interested researchers.

For more information, please contact:

Patricia Troncoso, M.D.
Tissue Core Director
713-794-5449
ptroncos@mdanderson.org

Uterine SPORE

The goal of the Uterine SPORE Pathology Core is to provide frozen tissue, paraffin-embedded tissue and histopathological expertise related to the specific needs for the research projects within this SPORE program and to other interested researchers.

For more information, please contact:

Russell R. Broaddus, M.D., Ph.D.
Pathology Core Director
713-745-2794
rbroaddus@mdanderson.org