NCI Specimen Resource Locator
NCI Specimen Resource Locator is a searchable database that helps researchers locate specimens for research. The database includes resources such as tissue banks and tissue procurement systems with access to normal, benign, pre-cancerous and/or cancerous human tissue.
Researchers can specify types of:
- specimens,
- number of cases,
- preservation methods, and
- associated data
When no match is obtained, the researcher is referred to the NCI Tissue Expediter, a scientist who helps match researchers with appropriate resources or collaborators.
The NCI Tissue Expediter
The role of the NCI Tissue Expediter is to identify sources of human tissue specimens and to help researchers locate the tissue and related data that they need. The Tissue Expediter is a scientist with contacts in the resources community who can rapidly relate investigator needs to appropriate resources. The Expediter can also help researchers identify potential collaborators when those are necessary.
Contact the Tissue Expediter:
NCI Tissue Expediter
Executive Plaza North, Room 6035A
6130 Executive Boulevard
Rockville, MD 20892
Phone: 301 496-7147
FAX: 301 402-7819
Email: tissexp@mail.nih.gov
NCI-Supported Specimen Resources
Cooperative Human Tissue Network (CHTN)
http://www-chtn.ims.nci.nih.gov/
- Provides normal, benign, pre-cancerous and cancerous human tissue to the scientific community for basic and developmental studies in many areas of cancer research
Contact:
Kelly Kim, MA
National Cancer Institute (NCI)
Phone: (301) 496-7147
Tissue Array Research Program (TARP)
http://resresources.nci.nih.gov/tarp/
- Develops and disseminates Multi-Tumor Tissue Microarray slides and the related technology to cancer research investigators. It is a collaborative effort between the National Cancer Institute and the National Human Genome Research Institute.
- 500 tumor and control tissue samples on a single slide
Cooperative Breast Cancer Tissue Resource (CBCTR)
http://www-cbctr.ims.nci.nih.gov/
- Provides researchers with access to approximately 9,000 cases of formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded primary breast cancer tissue, with associated pathology and clinical data
- Useful for validation studies of diagnostic and prognostic markers
Contact:
Steve Marroulis
Information Management Services, Inc.,
Phone: (301) 680-9770
Email: marrouliss@imsweb.com.
Clinical Trial Cooperative Group Human Tissue Resources
http://cancer.gov/specimens
- Banked tumor specimens from large numbers of uniformly treated cancer patients with a variety of malignancies
- Specimens with clinical treatment and outcome data may be available through collaborative arrangements, particularly for clinical correlative studies
- Each Group has a review process for research proposals
Contact:
The NCI Specimen Resource Locator web site
or The NCI Tissue Expediter
Phone: (301) 496-7174
Email: tissexp@mail.nih.gov.
AIDS and Cancer Specimen Resource (ACSR)
http://acsr.ucsf.edu/
- Provides qualified researchers with tissue, cell, blood and fluid specimens, as well as clinical data from patients with AIDS and cancer
- Specimens and clinical data are available for research studies, particularly those that translate basic research findings to clinical application
Contact:
Dr. Jodi Black
National Cancer Institute (NCI)
Phone: 301-402-6293
Email: jb377x@nih.gov
The Cancer Family Registries (CFRs)
http://epi.grants.cancer.gov/CFR/
- Includes two international registries: the Cancer Family Registry for Breast Cancer Studies (Breast CFRs) and the Cancer Family Registry for Colorectal Cancer Studies (Colon CFRs).
- Breast CFRs provides family history information, biological specimens, epidemiological and clinical data from clinic-based and population-based families at risk for breast and ovarian cancers
- Colon CFRs provides family history information, epidemiological and clinical data, and related biological specimens from individuals with colorectal cancer and their families
Contact:
Genetic Epidemiology and Family Registries
National Cancer Institute (NCI)
Phone: (301) 496-9600
The Breast Cancer Intergroup of North America (TBCI) Specimen Resource
http://ctep.cancer.gov/resources/tbci/correlative_studies.html
- A highly annotated resource of formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded primary breast tumor tissue collected from phase 3 Intergroup treatment trials, mostly within the adjuvant setting, but also including trials within the metastatic setting.
- Blocks as well as unstained slides are available, as are tissue microarrays, from select trials.
- Proposals for use of TBCI specimens are rigorously reviewed by the TBCI Correlative Sciences Committee for scientific merit. Given the carefully collected patient outcome and other clinical data associated with these specimens, validation studies will be given priority over exploratory studies without preliminary data.
Section Last Updated: 07/25/07
