WVCTSI Tech Core

Overview of Services

Marshall University, Cabell-Huntington Hospital, and the Edwards Comprehensive Cancer Center Tissue Bank

The Edwards Comprehensive Cancer Center (ECCC) Tissue Bank is located on the campus of Cabell Huntington Hospital in Huntington, West Virginia.  The Tissue Bank has been actively consenting patients and collecting tissue since 2009 and relies on a research protocol governed by the Marshall University IRB. 

Tissues available in the bank can be viewed through the Open Specimen Tissue Catalog which can be found online at the ECCC website http://edwardsccc.org/ under the Clinical Trials and Research tab. 

The following types of tissue are currently included within the bank: Snap frozen fresh tissue in pairs of tumor and normal, cryopreserved cells derived from cancerous tumors, formalin fixed tissue blocks tumor and normal, fresh tumor and normal samples, unstained slides, and H&E. Some samples contain the tumor sample only.   Associated patient and clinical data can be provided upon request.

The bank is willing to work with individual researchers in order to provide requested tissue for specific projects.  The bulk of the tissue stored in the bank is cancerous tissue.  Some non-malignant samples have been included in the bank following final pathology. 

As of 2019 our cryopreserved cells will be evaluated for phenotypic stability and neoplastic behavior by one of our pathologists.  A document will be provided with the cells noting the evaluation results. 

Wesr Virginia University Biospecimen Processing Core

The West Virginia University Biospecimen Processing Core acquires and processes accurately timed, high quality samples (e.g., blood, urine, bone marrow, etc., but excluding tissue) from patients for translational research. The sample processing complexity is determined by needs of the investigators and ranges from simple logging and storage to generation of specific subsamples such as mRNA isolation.

Functions of the WVU BPC include: assistance with protocol design of sample times; establishment of handling procedures; determination of sample stability; sample & data acquisition; serving as an interface between the clinicians and labs; and specimen stabilization/processing, storage/shipping. Depending on the complexity of the study, the Core may also facilitate informed patient consent.

All equipment necessary for sample processing is located in the Core facility and includes centrifuges (refrigerated and non-refrigerated), an automated cell sorter, and continuously monitored freezers (-86 and -20oC).

The Core provides researchers with access to personnel who can link their samples to the Center's OnCore clinical trials management system. In addition, Core personnel have access to WVU Hospital’s electronic medical record system (Epic ) for acquisition of protocol requested patient information, providing a translational link to samples.

Leadership

ECCC

Donald A. Primerano, PhD
Vice Chair of Biomedical Sciences; Professor; Microbiology Section Head; and Co-Director, Genomics and Bioinformatics Core Facility
Phone: (304) 696-7207
primeran@marshall.edu

WVU

William Petros, PharmD, FCCP
Director, WVU Biospecimen Processing Core
304-293-5212
wpetros@hsc.wvu.edu

Location and Hours of Operation

Links and Resources

1. WVU Biospecimen Processing Core Website
2. ECCC Website

Contacts