Shared Resources
Pathology
Faculty Director: Brenda Hernandez, PhD

The Pathology Shared Resource provides histology and pathology services to support basic, epidemiologic, translational, and clinical research studies that use fresh, frozen, and fixed/paraffin-embedded human and animal tissue specimens. Services include the procurement of human tissue specimens and a full range of histology services including tissue processing and embedding, sectioning, staining, immunohistochemistry, in situ hybridization, DNA extraction, and tissue microarray slides.  In addition to conventional histology services, the Pathology Shared Resource also constructs tissue microarrays (TMAs).  Pathology consultation is also available.

Figure 1: Colorectal TMA blocks and TMA slide (H&E stained; 1 X magnification)
Figure 1: Colorectal TMA blocks and TMA slide (H&E stained; 1 X magnification)
The entire colorectal cancer tissue collection was arrayed in a total of 5 TMA blocks (row 1). In addition to the primary TMA set, three duplicate sets were also constructed (rows 2-4). TMA blocks were sectioned a 4µm thickness and H&E stained, yielding over 100 usable slides from each block. Each cancer case was represented by 4 malignant and 2 normal cores. Each core is 0.6 mm in diameter (images courtesy of B. Hernandez).

Figure 2: Selected individual colorectal TMA cores; H&E stained; 100 X magnification
Figure 2: Selected individual colorectal TMA cores; H&E stained; 100 X magnification
(Left to right): a. normal colonic mucosa; b. well-differentiated tubular adenocarcinoma; c. poorly-differentiated adenocarcinoma; d. mucinous adenocarcinoma (images courtesy of B. Hernandez)

The Pathology Shared resource capitalizes on the existing infrastructure of the Center’s tissue repository. The Repository currently consists of fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue specimens from hospitals and laboratories statewide.  The purpose of the repository is to provide tissue specimens to Center members and other investigators for research purposes. A priority is placed on the provision of specimens for population-based research and peer-reviewed, extramurally funded projects.  The repository is a part of the Residual Tissue Repository Program of the NCI SEER program (http://seer.cancer.gov/biospecimen/).