# Core 1: Biospecimen and Pathology Core

> **NIH NIH P50** · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO · 2023 · $201,939

## Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract
The UCSF Brain Tumor SPORE Biospecimen/Pathology Core provides staff and technology dedicated to the
procurement, processing, storing, distribution, histopathologic, and molecular analyses of high-quality brain
tumor biospecimens for translational science research. Our mission is to enhance biospecimen quality and utility
through use of optimized standard operating procedures, multi-modality preservation, integrated histopathologic
and molecular annotation, and a computerized inventory, request and tracking system. All aspects of this Core
are performed in accordance with the guiding principles set forth in the 2016 National Cancer Institute Best
Practice for Biorepository Guidelines. In order to maximize sharing and integration of SPORE projects, the
Biospecimen Core collects and makes available data derived from all distributed brain tumor biospecimens.
Specific Aims of SPORE Biospecimen/Pathology Core:
1. To acquire and preserve high-quality brain tumor patient biospecimens from the operating room and from
 preclinical models used by the Projects with optimized handling to maximize cell viability and/or minimize the
 cold-ischemia time, so as to meet the tissue accrual requirements for all of the proposed Brain Tumor SPORE
 projects and clinical trials.
2. To provide standardized routine and advanced tissue handling/processing and analytical techniques,
 including multiplex immunoflourescence, multiplexed protein and RNA assays, tissue microarray
 construction, quantitative whole slide image analysis, DNA/RNA extraction, and preparation of viable cells
 that will allow each SPORE project to fulfill its goals.
3. To provide biospecimen and neuropathology expertise to ensure optimal biospecimen quality and extraction
 of high-quality data from biospecimens collected from the operating room and animal models. This includes
 performing quality control assays on archived biospecimens and extraction of appropriate quantitative and
 semi-quantitative parameters from whole slide images.
4. To provide consistent oversight and tracking of the Core activities through the SPORE
 Biospecimen/Pathology Core database. This database will contain demographic data, integrated
 histopathologic and molecular annotation, results from molecular analyses, and tissue distributions (internal
 and external) that will be linked to relational clinical databases maintained by the SPORE Biostatistics and
 Clinical Core and used by all SPORE Projects. In addition, biospecimen tracking in the database will ensure
 stringent compliance with regulations governing informed consent and patient confidentiality.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10712672
- **Project number:** 2P50CA097257-21
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO
- **Principal Investigator:** Joanna Phillips
- **Activity code:** P50 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2023
- **Award amount:** $201,939
- **Award type:** 2
- **Project period:** 2002-09-20 → 2028-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10712672

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10712672, Core 1: Biospecimen and Pathology Core (2P50CA097257-21). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10712672. Licensed CC0.

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