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Welcome to the Mid-Atlantic Division of the Cooperative Human Tissue Network (CHTN)
The CHTN is funded by the National Cancer Institute and provides high quality, well-annotated biospecimens to researchers throughout the United States and Canada. The Mid-Atlantic Division is based in the Pathology Department at the University of Virginia and is one of six participating academic medical centers. The CHTN was originally established in 1987, and the Mid-Atlantic Division joined in 2001. While primarily a resource for cancer researchers, samples provided by the CHTN support projects in many biomedical and basic science fields. By pooling the resources of multiple institutions, the CHTN improves researcher’s access to specimens, especially those needing large numbers of specimens, those studying rare conditions, and those without access to a medical center.
More about the CHTN Mid-Atlantic Division
In addition to tissue and biofluid specimens, the Mid-Atlantic Division specializes in construction and distribution of tissue microarrays (TMAs). TMAs allow immunohistochemical and colorimetric staining for biomarkers on many samples in parallel. Researchers may quickly obtain comparable results from many samples simultaneously at a fraction of the cost of performing the same tests on individual samples. In addition to creating TMAs for the CHTN, in 2014 we took over the distribution of TMAs created by the Cancer Diagnosis Program (CDP) of the NCI. These TMAs are also available to CHTN investigators, but through a different application process.
Our staff works closely with the UVA Biorepository & Tissue Research Facility, the surgical pathology and autopsy services, and Health System clinics to obtain and process remnant materials which would otherwise be discarded. Samples are prepared and preserved according to the needs of each investigator. Christopher Moskaluk, M.D., Ph.D. is Chair of the Department of Pathology and is the Principal Investigator and Faculty Director of the Mid-Atlantic Division. Dr. Moskaluk is a Board Certified Pathologist and has many years of expertise in the procurement, preservation and use of human tissue specimens in his own research programs in adenoid cystic carcinoma, lung, prostate and gastrointestinal cancers.
Allied Biospecimen Resources at The University of Virginia
In the News
Speeding Up Research with a $3 Million NCI Grant
After diagnosis of diseases such as cancer, the rest of the tissue samples are destroyed when they could be used for research.