Brain Tumor Sample and Information Resource (BTSIR)

The BTP research program is dependent upon the availability of a variety of samples derived from patients with brain tumors. The BTSIR is a centralized repository and resource providing tissue samples (over 1,000 frozen and over 2000 paraffin-embedded specimens), lymphocytes (viable frozen), plasma and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Other specimens can be collected for prospective studies such as cyst fluid, urine or other bodily fluids. This sample collection is performed with patient consent and is approved by the Institutional Review Board. Samples are coded anonymously and a computerized database with restricted access containing patient clinical information can be utilized to retrieve important clinical parameters for the samples studies such as treatment and survival data. This resource verifies histopathological diagnosis and can provide samples of specimens in several formats including tissue sections, DNA, RNA and protein. This facility is under the co-Direction of Erwin Van Meir and Daniel Brat.

Animal models for brain tumors

David Martin is the Director of the Emory Transgenics and knockout facility. He maintains breeding stocks and engineers new animal models. Dirck Dillehay is a veterinarian and animal pathologist who provides expertise with the pathological evaluation of animals. Jeffrey Olson and Erwin Van Meir provide animal models of xenografted human and rodent glioma cell lines.

Genomics/Proteomics

Jan Pohl is the General Director of several core facilities on campus. He provides expertise in the area of proteomics (HPLC, mass spectrometry). Carlos Moreno runs the genomics core, which provides microarray services.

Imaging

The program benefits from three different core facilities for imaging. The Frederick Philips MR Research Center is located at Emory University Hospital, is a core facility of the School of Medicine with emphasis in clinical and translational research (director: John Oshinski, PhD). The Center provides expertise and resources (three 1.5T and one 3T clinical scanner and a 4.7T animal scanner) for both clinical imaging and animal imaging. The BioImaging Technology Center is located at the dept of BioMedical Engineering, is headed by Xiaoping Hu with emphasis in developing new MRI technology. BITC hosts a dedicated 3T research scanner. The Emory Center for Positron Emission Tomography (Director, J.Douglas Bremner) located at Emory University Hospital and the Woodruff Memorial Research Building and is a core facility of the School of Medicine with emphasis in clinical and translational research (director of Chemistry: Mark Goodman). The Center provides expertise and resources (one clinical GE PETCT scanner and one clinical Siemens PET scanner and a Concorde microPET animal scanner) for both clinical imaging and animal imaging.