ITB Services
The Institutional Tissue Bank (ITB) at UT MD Anderson provides assistance with the collection and processing of tissue and blood, fine needle aspirate (FNA), bone marrow aspirate (BMA) and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF).
ITB collects samples from:
- Operation rooms (Alkek and Mays buildings)
- Interventional radiation units (Alkek and Mays buildings)
- Various UT MD Anderson clinics
- Endoscopic units
- Procedure rooms
- Other locations required by specific protocol
- HALs: Collection at West Houston and Woodlands sites
Collected samples can be processed in:
- Fresh in media
- Snap frozen in liquid nitrogen
- Frozen at optimum cutting temperature (OCT)
- Fixed in formalin
- Preserved in RNA-Later solution
- Sterile tissue harvest and processing for cell line development, patient-derived xenograft (PDX), vaccine generation and more
- Other processing required by a specific protocol
Detailed Sample Tracking in the UT MD Anderson Biospecimen Information Management System (BIMS)
Our tracking system gives researchers full visibility on every aspect of a sample’s life, from accessioning to long-term storage or usage. BIMS provides inventory, reporting and audit capabilities on samples with a complete record created in this data base.
Storage of Processed Specimens
All specimens are stored in a secured, monitored facility. ITB provides short- and long-term storage for samples at room temperature, 4°C,-20°C, -80°C or vapor-phase liquid nitrogen freezer.
Retrospective Tissue Distribution
ITB stores thousands of frozen and formalin-fixed samples covering broad variety of cancers types Archive samples and associated data can be requested by the investigators of UT MD Anderson research protocols and used for scientific projects.
Biospecimen Shipping Assistance
Packing and shipping of biological materials are performed in a way that minimizes the environmental impact on them, in accordance with protocol requirements (with usage of gel packs, dry ice and liquid nitrogen).
Pathologist Slide Review
Histological slide review provides comprehensive analysis, as well as quality assurance of the research samples collected for specific protocol. Currently, histopathological tissue analysis of particular sample by a pathologist represents the only definitive method to confirm of presence or absence of disease, disease grading and assessment of the disease progression.
ITB uses start-of-the art equipment. View our list of current equipment.
UT MD Anderson researchers may request our services through UT MD Anderson Biospecimen Information Management System (BIMS).
ITB Fee Schedule
Effective: April 15th, 2026
The Institutional Tissue Bank (ITB) implemented a modest fee to meet the requirements set forth by the Cancer Center Support Grant (CCSG). The grant makes such a shared-use facility possible and provides continued support to a growing number of grant-funded and sponsored research efforts. The following fees will be applied to services rendered by the Institutional Tissue Bank and should be included in budget planning for the remainder of the calendar year:
| Service | Fee | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Study Registration | $75 | One-time fee upon ITB registration |
| Prospective Tissue Collection | $20 per specimen or $60 per-case minimum |
One surgical case resulting in 3 vials = $60 One surgical case resulting in 10 vials = $200 |
| Archived Tissue Requests (previously frozen tissue) | $50 per specimen | One vial of tumor and one vial of normal tissue = $100 |
| On-site Tissue Collection (in clinics, endoscopy units or Operation Room) | $65 for Tissue Bank assistance in clinic in addition to $20 per specimen collected | One case resulting in 3 vials = $125 One case resulting in 10 vials = $265 |
| Sterile Tissue Collection | $50 per case in addition to $60 per case minimum | One case resulting in 1-3 vials = $110 |
| Specimen Conversion (Snap-frozen to OCT, paraffin, etc.) | $50 per sample | One frozen vial converted to an OCT Block =$50 |
| Use of Existing ITB Paraffin Blocks for Slide Preparation | $50 per block requested | Special approval required, and slide number is limited |
| Paging Service | $50 flat fee per month | Single page notification per case |
| Liquid Nitrogen Use | $30 flat fee per month | Monthly use of ITB purchased LN2 |
| Data Entry for Non-ITB samples | $60 per hour | Minimum 1 hour |
| Data Abstraction/Medical Record Info. Compilation | $100 per hour | Three hours spent gathering info. & preparing a printable summary = $300 |
| Short-term Specimen Hold | $15 per box per month | 5 boxes in one month = $75 for one month |
| Specimen Retrieval from Short-term Hold | $20 per specimen | Retrieval & distribution of 4 vials = $80 (no return) |
| General Supplies fee (Satellite banks only) | $75 per month | Includes liquid nitrogen, dry ice, vials, cassettes, OCT, RNA-later, etc. |
| Blood Processing | $75 per case minimum $6 per each additional sample |
One case resulting in 3 vials = $75 One case resulting in 10 vials = $117 |
| Bone Marrow Aspirate (BMA) Processing | $75 per case minimum $6 per each additional sample |
One case resulting in 3 vials = $75 One case resulting in 10 vials = $117 |
| Cerebrospinal Fluid (CSF) Processing | $75 per case minimum $6 per each additional sample |
One case resulting in 3 vials = $75 One case resulting in 10 vials = $117 |
| Biospecimen Shipping | $60 frozen samples on dry ice or wet ice | Shipping materials can be provided upon request |
| Biospecimen Processing Bench ITB | $100 flat fee per month | Scheduling required |
NOTE: These fees do NOT include charges billed by the Research Histology Core services. Please contact the Tissue Bank via email (itbteam@mdanderson.org and tissuebank@mdanderson.org) to request further information about initiation of services.
Our Services in Action
