• Provide a reliable and continuous source of remnant human tissues for biomedical research.
• Provide histological sections of frozen and paraffin-embedded tissue from human and animal sources, as well as providing routine (hematoxylin and eosin) and specialized staining of these sections upon request.
• Coordinate with Dr. Nora Rozengurt (nrozengurt@mednet.ucla.edu) to provide histological sections for veterinary pathology diagnosis and/or immunohistochemical staining.
• Provide laser capture micro-dissected samples.
• Minimize investigator efforts required to obtain human tissues.
• Improve the quality of tissues collected.
• Assure that tissues meet stated diagnoses.
• Minimize the chances of a diagnostic specimen being compromised by improper handling.
• Verify to outside funding organizations that specific tissues are available for the proposed research.
• Provide an equitable distribution of tissues to JCCC investigators.
• Foster collaborative efforts between JCCC basic scientists and clinicians.
• Provide assistance in obtaining Institutional Review Board (IRB) exemption or IRB protocol approval.
• Ensure that researchers using human tissue have proper IRB approval.
• Provide training in handling of human tissues.

Operating Policies: The investigator submits a TPCL "Request for Tissue" form, which includes information such as the type of tissue required, total number of samples, time-frame and frequency, desired tissue preparation, IRB approval number, etc. Drs. Ganz and Dry are available to meet with each investigator to assist in "fine-tuning" critical details of the research requirements, optimal tissue sources (i.e., surgery, autopsy), and the method of preparation.