# Biorepository, Pathology, and Immune Monitoring Core

> **NIH NIH P50** · DUKE UNIVERSITY · 2021 · $166,697

## Abstract

ABSTRACT – Biorepository, Pathology, and Immune Monitoring Core (Core 3)
The Biorepository, Pathology, and Immune Monitoring Core (Core 3) will serve as a critical resource for
the three projects and developmental programs of this SPORE in Brain Cancer by providing comprehensive
biorepository banking, complete phenotypic and genotypic histopathologic assessment, and state-of-the-art
immune monitoring. This resource will be provided by a team of highly accomplished research scientists who
have decades of experience with these platforms in conjunction with previous and current cancer
immunotherapy trials. Our Biorepository resource has accumulated over 33,000 frozen tumor blocks, including
over 21,000 paired central nervous system tumor samples, in -170oC storage with matched blood samples
from over 2,687 patients. The staff are trained in Good Laboratory Practices (GLP) and the Biorepository is
certified by the College of American Pathologists. Samples are linked with Duke Hospital Pathology reports
that include a profile of diagnostic, proliferative, phenotypic, and genotypic data in order that researchers have
access to well characterized tumor tissues. This Core also has an extensive history of human immune profiling
using highly standardized and validated assays at Duke, thus providing a broad repertoire of state-of-the-art
technology platforms to comprehensively interrogate immune responses to immunotherapy. The flow
cytometry-based phenotypic and functional immune profiling platforms represent a particular strength in this
proposal, based on the extensive past and ongoing applications as well as refinements of these tools in the
context of vaccine and cancer immunotherapy trials and proficiency testing efforts. Additionally, all immune
monitoring of SPORE-associated clinical trials will be performed according to Good Clinical Laboratory
Practices (GCLP). The specific aims are 1) To provide blood and tissue distribution and tracking services,
tissue diagnosis, immunohistochemical (IHC) and biobanking support to the Projects' clinical and correlative
studies. 2) To provide GCLP-compliant, comprehensive Immune Monitoring of patients enrolled in the Projects'
clinical studies using standardized and validated state-of-the-art flow cytometry-based immune profiling
platforms. This Core will also continue to innovate, including by translating innovative methodologies
developed to analyze brain tumoral heterogeneity and immune responses in this Core into diagnostic,
prognostic, and therapeutic responsiveness clinical tests for the bedside. In addition the Inter-SPORE
consortium for immune monitoring will continue to share development and validation of new immune profiling
platforms while also attempting to standardize all aspects of specimen acquisition, preparation, transport, and
evaluation according to a uniform set of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10248315
- **Project number:** 5P50CA190991-08
- **Recipient organization:** DUKE UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Kent J. Weinhold
- **Activity code:** P50 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $166,697
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2014-09-24 → 2024-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10248315

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10248315, Biorepository, Pathology, and Immune Monitoring Core (5P50CA190991-08). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10248315. Licensed CC0.

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