How the ACSR can help your research
The AIDS and Cancer Specimen Resource (ACSR) is a resource for investigators working in the fields of HIV/AIDS, cancer, virology, immunology, pathology, epidemiology, tumor biology assay development, and many others. It is a biorepository for HIV-infected human biospecimens from a wide spectrum of HIV-related or associated diseases, including cancer, and from appropriate HIV-negative controls. The ACSR was established by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) in 1994 to acquire, store, and equitably distribute tumor tissues, biological fluids, and associated clinical information from patients with HIV-associated malignancies to the scientific research community-at-large. The NCI believes that prospective and longitudinal clinical samples collected across the timeline of the HIV/AIDS crisis are pivotal to the understanding of the epidemic and its impact on cancer incidence. Availability of such biospecimens also facilitates efforts to identify therapeutic targets and gain further insight into the pathogenesis and treatment of cancer in the HIV-infected population.
Basic research into the pathogenesis of AIDS-related malignancies depends upon the availability of properly preserved tissue and body fluid specimens. Because ACSR scientists are themselves actively involved in the study of HIV disease, the ACSR is able to acquire biospecimens that anticipate therapeutic and scientific advances.
The ACSR also collaborates with individual NIH-funded investigators and cooperative groups studying HIV/AIDS and HIV-associated malignancies to serve as a repository for biospecimens and provide specialized core services. The ACSR continues to develop special sets of biospecimens including:
- Serial specimens from patients involved in clinical trials
- Matched tumor and control specimens
- Multi-site autopsy specimens
- Lymphoma epidemiology study specimens
- Male/female derived specimens from all AIDS risk categories
- Internationally obtained specimens
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