Tissue Acquisition And Cellular/Molecular Analysis Shared Resource (TACMASR)

TISSUE ACQUISITION & CELLULAR/MOLECULAR ANALYSIS: ABSTRACT Personalized treatment of cancer is rapidly becoming a standard practice. Several factors contribute to the uniqueness of a patient, including the individual’s genome, the genome and epigenome of the cancer, disease presentation, sex, exposures, lifestyle, microbiome, and other comorbidities. The identification of specific biomarkers, signaling pathways, immune cell signatures and genetic mutations within tumors underlies molecular targeted therapies and new insights into cancer treatment. Projects require tissue samples of human tumors, which may be implanted in mouse models or used for the generation of organotypic cultures that duplicate the human disease progression and response to treatment. New drug treatments will first be tested in these preclinical models using patient samples before developed therapeutic approaches reach clinical trials. In addition, deciphering genetic alterations and aberrant and tumor-related genes are used for biomarkers for targeted therapies that is unique to that patient. The overall goal of the Tissue Acquisition & Cellular/Molecular Analysis Shared Resource (TACMASR) is to foster individualized approaches for the early detection and therapy of cancers utilizing a new dimension of research pathology for biomarker/drug discovery, digital and spatial imaging, and innovative morphological analysis of 3D cultures. Through continued emphasis on advancing clinical and translational research and increasing collaborations among basic and clinical investigators, TACMASR serves as a centralized resource, providing University of Arizona Cancer Center (UACC) Members with access to clinically annotated, high-quality human specimens. TACMASR offers a comprehensive biorepository coupled with advanced human and animal tissue analysis using state-of-the art microscopy, 3D organotypic cultures, and expert analysis and interpretation of results by well trained staff. The Specific Aims of TACMASR are to: (1) provide biospecimens with a seamless process for the collection, processing, banking, and distribution of human tissues; (2) support a full service research histology laboratory that offers routine and specialized paraffin embedding, sectioning, automated hematoxylin and eosin staining, frozen sectioning, and a large selection of special stains; and (3) develop new protocols and state-of-the-art technologies to meet the special needs of requesting investigators and foster individualized approaches for the early detection and therapy of cancers. In CY20, TACMASR provided services to 81 unique users (53% UACC Members). Services since 2016 have contributed to 47 publications by UACC Members and 29 grants.