Human Tissue Acquisition and Pathology
(Thomas Wheeler, M.D., Director;
Pamela Younes, Co-Director)
For the past 12 years, Pathology Core Services have been provided to Baylor College of Medicine investigators in numerous areas particularly in prostate cancer (Prostate SPORE). At present, tumor banking services include breast cancer (Breast SPORE) and childhood tumors (Pediatric Oncology Program) as well as prostate cancer.
At the Methodist Hospital and Texas Children's Hospital, we currently bank samples of all tumors and serum/plasma; at Ben Taub General Hospital and the Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center, we are banking primarily breast, prostate and ovary and will begin to bank all tissues in the near future.
Tissue is procured in the operating room to ensure RNA integrity. Samples are indexed with an extensive data base of clinical and pathological parameters. Services (tissue processing, sectioning, special stains, immunohistochemistry) are also provided. Our efforts have resulted in collaborations with numerous investigators inside and outside of the college.
We have recently acquired the ability to create tissue microarrays and produce high-resolution images (Bliss system) of a virtual slide. To date, we have arrayed over 1,700 patients with over 12,000 tissue cores. Our immunohistochemistry capabilities have been expanded with the addition of an automated DAKO immunostainer. We also offer Laser Capture microdissection (PIXEL II).
To use tissue/serum researchers must submit a request to the Resource Allocation Committee (chaired by Dr. Wheeler) and have IRB approval. In conjunction with an epidemiologist and statistician, a power analysis for the proposed study is done.
We are currently developing automated image analysis capabilities as well as a web-based data bank that will be accessible to all Cancer Center researchers. A charge-back system is in place for some services (laser capture, immunohistochemistry) and is being implemented for others. More than 40 investigators use this core.
Goals
- To provide tissue and serum related services to BCM researchers
- To organize the different tissue banks that currently exist at BCM under one umbrella administrative organization
- To establish an informatics network that will facilitate sharing of resources
- To provide the human research legal umbrella for tissue collection at the colege
Histology Core Lab Costs
Tissue Processing and Embedding| Frozen | $3 per block |
| Paraffin | $4 per block |
| Hand processing | $10 per block |
| Re embedding | $1 per block |
Tissue Sectioning
| Frozen | $5 per slide |
| Paraffin | $4 per slide |
| Hematoxylin & Eosin staining | $3 per slide |
| Special Stain-Group I | $7 per slide |
| (simple, non silver) | |
| Special Stain-Group II | $9 per slide |
| (complex, silver) | |
| Cytology smears stained | $3 per slide |
| Cytospin | $3 per slide |
| Cell Block | $5 per sample |
| Decalcification | $4 per sample |
| PCR sample | $3 per tube |
| Slide Box (100 slides) | $15 per box |
| Immunohistochemistry | $20 per slide |
| (includes standard AB) |
| Staining (investigator supplied AB) |
$15 per slide |
| (>100 slides with investigator supplied Antibody) | $12 per slide |
| Double immuno staining | $30 per slide |
| Titration | $100 per antibody |
| Pixell II laser capture microdissector | $200 per hour |
| Tissue Arrays | $7 per core |
Tumor Cell Lines
Contact: twheeler@bcm.tmc.edu
Circulating Tumor Cell Analysis (CellSearch™ System)
Co-Director: Edward A Graviss, PhD, MPH
Tumor cells that enter the circulation may form cancer metastasis. Identifying, enumerating, and characterizing these cells can be a powerful clinical diagnostic and research tool. Circulating tumor cells have been studied prospectively in metastatic breast cancer. CTCs numbers =5 are associated with worse or negative outcomes (Cristofanilli et al NEJM 2004). Studies in other solid malignancies are ongoing. The CellSearch™ System offers an advanced, semi-automated assay that enables the capture, identification, and classification of rare circulating tumor cell (CTCs) in a standardized, objective manner.
Blood is collected (7.5mL) in specific CellSave preservative tubes supplied by the core. The phlebotomized blood can be stored at room temperature and run up to 72 hours after collection. CellSearch™ has two major components: the CellTracks Autoprep uses immunomagnetic enrichment for cell capture and staining. The CellTracks II Analyzer allows for identification of cells along with molecular characterization and archiving of cell images. The two step approach allows for flexibility so investigators can either receive the enriched sample for their own processing and studies or request the full process and receive the quantity and images of cells in the samples submitted.
The Shared Resource offers the following services:
- Enumerating circulating tumor cells (CTC) in blood.
- Enumerating circulating endothelial cells (CEC) in blood.
- Profiling tumor cells by using available assays for expression of known biomarkers (MUC1, EGFR, and HER2).
- Help investigators develop expression profile assays of CTC biomarkers of interest.
- Enriching cells via immunomagentic for investigator to perform further studies offline (e.g. molecular assays, FISH, flowcytometry)
Pricing:
- CTC enumeration: $250 per sample.
- CEC enumeration: $250 per sample.
- Epithelial cell enrichment: $120 per sample.
- CTC phenotyping (MUC1, EGFR, HER2): contact us.
- CTC phenotyping (custom assay): contact us.
For more information on this technology visit Veridex website:
http://www.veridex.com/Systems/Systems.aspx?id=1
Contact Information:
Laboratory Location: BCM 209E
Personnel:
Edward Graviss, Ph.D., MPH, Co-Director, egraviss@bcm.edu
Mothaffar Rimawi, M.D. Scientific Consultant, rimawi@bcm.edu
Justin Lew, B.S., lew@bcm.edu, Phone: 713-798-8022