Core A: Biospecimen Repository and Pathology

CF1: Biospecimen Repository and Pathology Core ABSTRACT The Biospecimen Repository and Pathology Core (CF1) is designed to provide support to the basic and translational research efforts of the SPORE. CF1 will play a central role in collecting, annotating, storing, distributing, and tracking of tissue and blood biospecimens from patients enrolled in research protocols. The Core will provide SPORE investigators with expert histopathological evaluation of tumor samples both from patients enrolled on research protocols and from murine and xenograft models. Additionally it will assist in selecting appropriate formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue and snap-frozen tissue for research and pilot projects, as well as enable the creation of tissue microarrays (TMAs) for SPORE investigator studies. CF1 will assist in performing and interpreting immunohistochemical studies and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) assays. It will provide scanning and digital archiving of TMA images and reliable interpretation, scoring, and archiving of IHC results from FFPE or TMA sections. CF1 will also provide systematic assessment of tumor response to therapy in human tissues and in sarcoma murine models, including interpretation of immunohistochemical markers for drug response, such as changes in kinase phosphorylation, proliferation inhibition, and induction of apoptosis. It will also provide a centralized resource for mutational annotation of sarcoma samples and cell lines using the MSK-IMPACT platform. Finally, CF1 ensures linkage of specimens to the clinical sarcoma database (within CRDB) in collaboration with project leaders, the Biostatistics and Bioinformatics Core (CF2 Qin/Socci) and the Administrative Core (Singer). This establishes a substantial infrastructure and allows us to provide the required services in a cost-effective manner. CF1 is tightly integrated with the MSK institutional Pathology Core (supported by the MSK Cancer Center Core Grant) and the sarcoma clinical database managed by the Administrative Core.