Non-selective Primary Human Tumor Cell Line Generation from Surgical Resections to be Paired With Flash Frozen and Paraffin Embedded Tissue: Advancements in Democratizing Translational Research Materials to Rural Institutions

Translational cancer research relies on the availability of human patient tissue demonstrating the specific disease process under investigation. Biobanks of human tissue have historically been and remain to date the primary access point for cancer research samples. Biorepositories routinely supply researchers with varying sample types for use in biomedical studies, most commonly formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue or fresh snap-frozen tissue. In conjunction with preserved tissue samples, viable tumor cell lines derived from patient tissue have emerged to be a new gold standard in cancer research, particularly in drug discovery and functional prognostic assays. Tissue banks providing these samples are being termed “nextgeneration” and are adapting to directly assist researchers by performing high throughout technical studies, such as routine histology and immunostaining of donor tissue. These highquality, next-generation biorepositories are a relatively scarce resource in the broader research community in the United States and have traditionally been associated with large centralized and very well-established university medical centers. This article describes the next-generation resources now available at the Edwards Comprehensive Cancer Center with its association with the Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine in Huntington, West Virginia. This manuscript details the procedures, protocols, and success rates of the Tissue Procurement Program (TPP) to generate a growing cohort of viable primary human tumor cell lines representing varying malignancies to be used in conjunction with matched formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded (FFPE) and snap-frozen tissue samples for comprehensive translational research.