Comparative Pathology Core

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PROJECT SUMMARY – Comparative Pathology Core The Comparative Pathology Core (CPC) is an established Shared Resource within the Department of Pathobiology at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine (Penn Vet), and a fully integrated Shared Resource of the Abramson Cancer Center (ACC). The main objective of the CPC is to provide skillful interpretation of lesions in animals to fulfill the needs of ACC members using animal models of disease. Among the services provided are a full-service histology, clinical laboratory services for bloodwork and cytology, immunohistochemistry, digital pathology, comprehensive mouse phenotyping, slide evaluation and interpretation, study design consultation, necropsy training, and photomicroscopy. The IHC service (immunohistochemistry) utilizes an automated platform, multiplex immunofluorescence, and in situ hybridization; the CPC has numerous in-stock optimized antibodies, as well as the ability to work-up novel antibodies for investigators. The CPC was awarded an NIH Shared Instrumentation Grant (S10) in 2018 for the Aperio VERSA scanner and eSlide Manager image analysis system. This digital scanner provides brightfield and fluorescence imaging of tissues and is fully integrated with whole slide imaging software, allowing the CPC to offer state-of-the-art quantitative analysis. Amy Durham, MS, VMD, Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Pathologists and Associate Professor in the Department of Pathobiology at Penn Vet, developed and directs the CPC. She is a board-certified anatomic veterinary pathologist with considerable experience in animal models of cancer and has been involved in numerous collaborative research projects with members of the ACC. Enrico Radaelli, DVM, PhD, Diplomate of the European College of Veterinary Pathology, is the CPC Technical Director. He has more than a decade of experience in the pathobiology of laboratory animals used in preclinical/biomedical research with an emphasis on the phenotyping of genetically engineered mouse models. The CPC developed a fellowship program in 2018 to expand services and usage, and two additional veterinary pathologists now support the CPC mission. CPC pathologists work with multiple Research Programs, including Tumor Biology, Cancer Therapeutics, Breast Cancer, Immunobiology, and Radiobiology and Imaging. ACC members accounted for 61 of 190 investigators (32%) using the Shared Resource during the most recent reporting period (07/01/18-06/30/19). The CPC is instrumental in providing support for multiple high impact studies, including the characterization and validation of translational mouse models of glioblastoma multiforme to study the impact of epidermal growth factor receptor extracellular domain missense mutations at alanine 289 in vivo (Binder et al., Cancer Cell, 2018). Recognition and accurate interpretation of gross and histopathological lesions in animal models is essential for the success of cancer research. As the use and complexity of animal models in cancer research continues to increase, the CPC has grown with this demand, expanding the breadth and depth of its services to best serve ACC members.