Pitt Biospecimen Core
The Pitt Biospecimen Core (PBC, formerly the Health Science Tissue Bank, HSTB) provides central support for University of Pittsburgh research programs needing tissue materials for research from patients seen at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC). The main objectives of the PBC are: (1) to provide a mechanism to simplify and streamline the process of research tissue accrual and disbursement, and (2) to provide efficient research pathology support services.
The tissue accrual and disbursement function of the PBC has been in existence since 1991, when the service focused on genitourinary cancers. The resource has substantially expanded and now procures and disburses tissue materials, as well as other biological specimens from patients with diverse pathology. The PBC provides support to major research projects such as the Early Disease Research Network (EDRN), the National Mesothelioma Virtual Bank (NMVB), the Lung Tissue Research Consortium (LTRC), the Gynecological Cancer Center and the Cancer Genome Atlas Project (TCGA) research efforts as well as small programs and everything in between.
The Repository
The PBC contains over 800,000 biological samples from about 80,000 patient visits to the UPMC hospitals over the past 25 years. These samples are frozen surgical excess tissue and biofluids for cancer, other disease states and normal. Contact us to find out more about gaining access to specimens that match you research goals.
Prospective Tissue Collection and Banking
We have developed an extensive infrastructure that positions us to obtain specimens for your research projects from surgical cases seen at the UPMC hospitals. Our staff members will work with you to determine your criteria and assist you to identify cases and obtain samples.
Honest Broker and IRB Services
The Tissue Bank has a full service IRB-approved Honest Broker System, HB015, to ensure research integrity. HB015 is a cross divisional, collaborative broker service used as the “gold standard” model by the UPMC/University IRB.
Research Histology
The PBC is a full service research histology services facility that can perform your tissue processing, staining, immunohistochemistry and other services for frozen and FFPE tissue.
For more information please visit the PBC website.