Tumor Model and Biospecimen Repository Core

Tumor Model and Biospecimen Repository Core (Core C) SUMMARY Tumor Model and Biospecimen Repository Core (Core C) led by Dr. Adel K. El-Naggar (Core Leader) and Dr. Jeffrey Myers (Core Co-Leader), will provide H-CARR investigators with a centralized facility that ensures the systematic collection, processing, storage, and distribution of peripheral blood, surrogate and specialized specimens, and samples of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) from patients diagnosed, treated, and followed at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center (MD Anderson) at Baylor College of Medicine (BCM). Core C also provides expert preparation and distribution of high-quality samples and ancillary techniques to optimize utilization of patients’ materials by H-CARR investigators. Procurement and distribution of the samples to individual investigators will follow the guidelines established by the H-CARR Center Executive Leadership Committee and in compliance with HIPAA. Core C leadership will provide detailed pathologic evaluation of all tumor samples to investigators through the secure pathology database system linked to the H- CARR, database, and server. Core C will perform specialized services, including tissue microarray (TMA) construction, qualitative and quantitative biomarker analyses both in tissue [e.g., immunohistochemistry (IHC), Western blotting] and non-tissue (e.g., blood-based cytokine profiles) specimens, nucleic acid extractions, and development and maintenance of cell lines. Core C will also provide well-characterized, genomically authenticated head and neck cancer cell lines, well-characterized patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models, and heterotopic and orthotopic animal models in immunosuppressed or syngeneic mice and autochthonous tumor models of HNSCC to investigators. The leadership and personnel of Core C and its centralized organization will ensure the highest quality tissue samples and related analyses to all H-CARR investigators and to collaborating researchers participating in other NIH/NCI-sponsored programs.