# Tissue Procurement Shared Facility

> **NIH NIH P30** · UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM · 2020 · $187,119

## Abstract

CLINICAL RESEARCH GROUP 
TISSUE PROCUREMENT SHARED FACILITY (TPSF) 
ABSTRACT 
The goal of the UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center Tissue Procurement Shared Facility (TPSF) is to promote 
the research undertaken by UAB-CCC investigators by ensuring the availability of relevant, high quality human 
tissues. The TPSF accomplishes this through the collection, processing, storage, and distribution of a wide 
range of human tissues. Neoplastic and control tissues are supplied as fresh, frozen, paraffin-processed 
specimens or tissue sections. Bodily fluids and fluid components also can be provided. Pathologists evaluate 
all solid tissues supplied for research for quality and diagnostic accuracy. The supplementary services 
provided, including specialized histology, macrodissection and customized clinical data, are of demonstrable 
significance to the UAB-CCC investigators as are the ability of the TPSF to work effectively with other UAB- 
CCC Shared Facilities and affiliates. The TPSF leadership provides expert individual guidance to the UAB- 
CCC investigators in experimental design and the effective use of emerging methodologies in basic and 
translational research, as well as ensuring compliance in the changing regulatory environment. The 
leadership's expertise is based on active research in the area of tissue processing and banking as well as their 
participation in educational and outreach programs at the local, national and international levels. Strategic 
planning has been used to harness institutional and philanthropic resources to expand the capabilities of the 
Facility while improving the cost-effectiveness of its operations. Initiatives that have been undertaken since 
2011 include extensive renovations, updating of equipment and harmonization of standard-operating- 
procedures for accreditation by the College of American Pathologists; continued improvements in information 
technology applications that will enhance research capabilities while reducing labor costs; and establishment of 
the CCC Tissue Bank. Institutional support has permitted targeted recruitment of an additional pathologist, an 
informatics specialist, and a pathology physician's assistant to aid the TPSF. The TPSF serves investigators in 
all six UAB-CCC programs and since 2011 its involvement in clinical trials has tripled. It plays a central role in 
promoting the mission of the Cancer Center in terms of providing tissues from African-American patients that 
support their inclusion in early translational studies. From March 2011 to March 2015 the TPSF has supported 
requests from 57 UAB-CCC investigators and has supported 32 clinical trials. Between January and 
December 2014 the facility provided 38 UAB-CCC investigators with 919 fresh or frozen human tissue 
samples, 754 paraffin blocks, and 12,925 slides. TPSF-supported research has been reported in over 120 
publications during this time period. Since 1978, the facility has provided approximately 212,000 tissue 
specim...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9895653
- **Project number:** 5P30CA013148-48
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM
- **Principal Investigator:** UPENDER MANNE
- **Activity code:** P30 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $187,119
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** — → 2022-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9895653

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9895653, Tissue Procurement Shared Facility (5P30CA013148-48). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9895653. Licensed CC0.

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