# Core 1: Biospecimen/Pathology Core

> **NIH NIH P50** · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO · 2020 · $180,622

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
The UCSF Brain Tumor SPORE Biospecimen/Pathology Core provides staff and technology dedicated to the
procurement, processing, storing, distribution, and histopathologic analysis 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 procure brain tumor patient biospecimens from the operating room and from animal 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 perform quality control assays on archived biospecimens collected from the operating room and animal
 models, to ensure availability of adequate numbers of consistently handled specimens that will yield high-
 quality data for SPORE projects and clinical trials. High quality biospecimens are critical for all proposed
 SPORE projects.
3. To provide standardized routine and advanced tissue handling/processing and analytical techniques,
 including immunohistochemistry, fluorescence in situ hybridization, tissue microarray construction,
 DNA/RNA extraction, protein isolation, and preparation of viable cells that will allow each SPORE project to
 fulfill its goals.
4. To maintain a SPORE Biospecimen/Pathology Core database containing 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.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9999426
- **Project number:** 5P50CA097257-18
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO
- **Principal Investigator:** Joanna Phillips
- **Activity code:** P50 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $180,622
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2002-09-20 → 2023-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9999426

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9999426, Core 1: Biospecimen/Pathology Core (5P50CA097257-18). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9999426. Licensed CC0.

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