Biospecimen Core

PROJECT SUMMARY – BIOSPECIMEN CORE The Biospecimen Core is designed to provide expert support to the translational research efforts of the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) Pancreas SPORE. The Core will leverage and extend the very active tissue banking program and molecular diagnostics capabilities of the MSK Precision Pathology Biobanking Core (PPBC), which anchors 4 other MSK SPOREs and the MSK Center for Pancreatic Cancer Research. The SPORE Biospecimen Core will play an essential role in collection, annotation, storage, distribution, and tracking of pancreatic cancer biospecimens (tissue and blood) from patients enrolled in institutional biospecimen banking protocols and therapeutic research protocols. Detailed biospecimen annotation, including documentation of preanalytic processing variables, pathology findings, and patient clinical history information will be recorded in robust relational databases. We will conduct rigorous data quality assurance and quality control measures, and standardized longitudinal follow-up of all consented patients with materials in the pancreatic cancer biospecimen repository. The Core will also provide SPORE investigators with expert histopathological evaluation of tumor samples, as well as assistance in performing and interpreting immunohistochemical assays, selecting tissue for microdissection for downstream analysis, constructing tissue microarrays, and facilitating patient-derived organoid creation. The specific aims of the core are to (1) maintain and expand the collection, annotation, and storage of biospecimens for pancreatic cancer research, (2) perform systematic pathologic evaluation of all relevant ductal pancreatic adenocarcinoma samples and to prepare appropriate biospecimens for use by SPORE investigators, and (3) provide systematic microscopic assessment of response to therapy. Given the significant heterogeneity of pancreatic cancers, each of these aims requires expertise beyond what existing resources can provide, underscoring the need for this Core. All of the research projects will rely extensively on the Biospecimen Core to achieve their translational research objectives.