Core 1: Biospecimen and Translational Pathology Core

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Abstract: Core 1 Core 1 has the responsibility for the procurement, flow and delivery to the SPORE investigators of biological specimens (tissues, tumor cells, tumor-infiltrating immune cells and cells in the peripheral circulation) and for providing clinicopathological annotation for all subjects enrolled in the clinical trials. This is a critical responsibility that requires diverse expertise in specimen handling, pathology and data base operation. For this reason, the Core will be co-directed by Dr. Whiteside, who will lead the specimen biorepository efforts and Dr. Lucas, a pathologist, who will lead the annotation efforts. The two Co-Directors will be assisted by two Co- Investigators: Dr. Hartman with expertise in clinical informatics systems, and Dr. Karunamurthy, a dermatophatologist with expertise in melanoma and skin cancers. The Biorepository and Pathology Core is embedded in the Immunological Monitoring and Cell Products Laboratory (IMCPL), a shared core facility at the Hillman Cancer Center (HCC) with a history of distinguished service to the previous Melanoma and Skin Cancer SPORE and to cancer immunotherapy studies at the Pittsburgh Cancer Institute (now Hillman Cancer Center, HCC) over the past 33 years. In its role as Core 1 for the MSCP SPORE, the IMCPL will support the biotherapy-based research of all projects by performing project-specific serial accrual of specimens prior to, during and post therapeutic interventions. Core 1 will procure and process all body fluids and tissues harvested from melanoma patients enrolled in SPORE studies and provide immunopathological tissue evaluations, including multispectral analysis of tumor-infiltrating immune cells using Vectra Polaris multispectral immunofluorescence imaging and NanoString GeoMx Digital Spatial Profiling (DSP). Core 1 will also assist the SPORE investigators in implementing assays necessary for evaluation of immunologic responses to immune therapies. Core 1 will ensure that all samples it collects are accompanied by annotations that will permit linking laboratory analyses with clinical results. Data and annotations will be stored in the MSCP SPORE research database and will be updated and retrieved for research projects following established HIPAA protocols. We have a long history of collaboration with the MSCP SPORE investigators, and in the context of this SPORE Program, will be entirely dedicated to the support of the clinical and translational research in patients with melanoma or squamous cell carcinoma.