# Core 1: Biospecimen Core

> **NIH NIH P50** · CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY · 2020 · $132,563

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
The Biospecimen Core will continue to provide high quality annotated specimens and expert pathology
consultation to enhance the projects of Case GI SPORE investigators. This process will continue the
longstanding, successful, collaborations between the members of the Core and the individual project
investigators. During the course of these collaborations the Core has developed an extensive biospecimen
archive derived from over 13,000 patients. Previously, the Core has supplied high quality annotated specimens
leading to the discovery of 15-Prostaglandin Dehydrogenase as an important tumor suppressor gene in colon
carcinogenesis – the basis of Project 1; the African American colon cancer 15 gene-panel – the basis of Project
2; methylated vimentin as a biomarker of Barrett's Esophagus – the basis of Project 3; and the discovery of
unique glutamine metabolism in PIK3CA mutated colon cancers – the basis of Project 4. The Core also provided
significant support to the SPORE's Career Enhancement and Pilot Projects Programs. The Core has an
extensive archive of colon neoplasms from over 4,800 patients including 2,292 primary colon cancers of known
pathologic stage and databased clinical follow-up as well as a substantial number of cancer metastases. Frozen
material from 1053 of these cases is also banked with matched normal controls. The Core also has 350
esophageal cancers and Barrett's esophagus paraffin specimens as well as 134 frozen esophageal specimens.
Many of these samples have undergone extensive molecular analysis – enabling sophisticated translational
studies. The Core works with the Case Comprehensive Cancer Center to make available to the SPORE a wide
variety of techniques and technologies in a cost effective manner. The Core will organize all prospective GI
biospecimen procurements and distribution to SPORE investigators as well as provide access to its existing
tissue archive resource. The Core will support the projects of this application by identification of tissues of interest
to investigators both from the Core archive and from prospective accrual. The Core will provide histopathological
quality control for tissue sections, along with project specific morphology case reviews and will oversee and
provide longitudinal follow-up of clinical outcomes linked to these tissues. The Core will also provide tissue
microarray sections for tissue targets of interest, expertise in immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization
assessment and samples appropriate for specific studies. The primary objective is to provide a resource that
contributes significantly to the translational goals and endpoints of the individual projects and to facilitate
cooperation between other GI SPOREs.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9987277
- **Project number:** 5P50CA150964-09
- **Recipient organization:** CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** JOSEPH EDWARD WILLIS
- **Activity code:** P50 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $132,563
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2011-09-14 → 2022-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9987277

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9987277, Core 1: Biospecimen Core (5P50CA150964-09). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9987277. Licensed CC0.

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