# Pathology Core

> **NIH NIH P50** · DANA-FARBER CANCER INST · 2021 · $295,583

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
 The Pathology Core is responsible for overseeing the realm of human tissue, which is ultimately the life
blood of the translational projects proposed in this DF/HCC Ovarian Spore application. The primary mission of
the Pathology Core is to ground the projects in the visual realities of tissue cyto-morphology as the individual
project directors explore new therapies and biomarkers of therapeutic response. The first aim of this core is to
ensure that the projects are in compliance with IRB-approved protocols. The second aim will be to ensure
access to the highest quality tissue. This task is multifaceted and entails close coordination between core
investigators and personnel involved in consenting patients, delivering tissues to the Frozen Section room for
allocation, and transporting the tissue to the proper destination. In this setting, quality of service pertains to
both the condition of the tissue and the precision with which the tissue is analyzed to ensure that the proper
cellular components are selected for study. The third aim for this core will be to provide expert histopathologic
interpretation when needed and aid in experimental design and execution when tissue is utilized. All of these
aims will be executed in the context of each individual project and other cores. In Project 1 the core will be
involved in tissue allocation for sequencing, organoid or patient-derived xenograft generation, and paraffin
embedding and sectioning. The core will aid in antibody optimization, immunohistochemical staining of tissue
sections, and interpretation of results obtained on tissue in the context of multiple clinical trials. In Project 2,
involving a vaccine trial, critical tasks will include allocation of fresh tissue for all activities surrounding vaccine
generation and organoid generation as well as for generating paraffin embedded sections. The core will help to
assess immune response at the tissue level through multi-plex immunofluorescence analysis to help maximize
the information that can be gleaned. In Project 3, the core will aid with fresh, frozen, and fixed tissue
acquisition and allocation to allow for the varied analyses to be performed in the context of a clinical trial.
Moreover, the core investigators must be ever cognizant of maintaining the tissue banks at each site and
providing tissue for the Organoid, model organisms, and biomarkers core as well as aiding the biostatistics
core in interpretation of immunohistochemical results with respect to patient outcomes. Amidst this panoply of
diverse tasks, the core investigators must maintain an organized hierarchy of task assignment and carefully set
priorities. This will be achieved by experienced pathologist-investigators who will interact regularly and
effectively to integrate the work being done across multiple institutions and develop protocols and procedures
with established safeguards of quality assurance. Finally, this integrated Pathology Core will be dynamic, with...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10228048
- **Project number:** 5P50CA240243-02
- **Recipient organization:** DANA-FARBER CANCER INST
- **Principal Investigator:** Christopher Paul Crum
- **Activity code:** P50 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $295,583
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2020-08-03 → 2025-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10228048

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10228048, Pathology Core (5P50CA240243-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10228048. Licensed CC0.

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