Services

Collection of fresh tissue, snap freezing and banking neoplastic and normal tissues, histology services such as paraffin embedding, paraffin sectioning, automated Hematoxylin and Eosin staining, frozen sectioning, special stains, and immunohistochemistry. Human and animal pathology diagnostic services and microscopic interpretation of Hematoxylin and Eosin, special stain, and immunohistochemistry interpretations, digital photography and descriptions for manuscripts are also available.

Core Facility Price List

*** For special stains and to request a list of antibodies please contact the lab. Special stains are ordered according to the request. However, you can supply your own special stains and antibodies to be used for your project. A service fee will be charged for all special stains. ***

Human Tissue Shared Resources Histology and Immunohistochemisty Core Protocols

Histology and Immunohistochemisty Request Form:

This is a fee for service laboratory. In order to gain any access to the cores services an account registration form must be completed along with a service request form. Both forms can be completed online or picked up in room: 3121 located on the 3rd floor of the Harold D. West Basic Sciences Building. The PI and the foapal account number to be charged must be completed. Also please provide us with the most accurate information requested on all forms. Incorrect or incomplete forms will delay the completion of your project.

Tissue Submission:

The submitting lab performs dissection, grossing and fixation if required. Animal tissue that is being submitted for processing should have all hair removed. However, the core will perform these procedures by request only. Submit tissues in cassettes, blocks or slides with the appropriate labeling, an example is given in the fixation section. If cassettes are submitted, please note the container solution (Ex. Fixative, alcohol) and preferred processing protocol (15min, 30min or 1hr per station). Fixed specimens, unless otherwise noted, are assumed to be at their end-point of fixation. Specimens for frozen sectiong are to be frozen already at -80° C. Frozen samples should be handled immediately (unless in storage at -80° C) so scheduling with the core tech MUST be reserved in advance.

All projects submitted to the core facility are completed in the order received, using the submitted date indicated on the submission form.

• All submissions should he taken to room: 3121 Located on the 3rd floor of the West Basic Science Building and handed to the core tech. You should have an approval number accompanying the submitted specimen once your request has been received and approved.

Fixation Protocol For Processing And Parffin Embedding:

• Samples submitted for processing MUST be properly trimmed (not to exceed 5 mm in thickness), and fixed in reagent of choice according to your protocol. However the most commonly used fixative is 10% Neutral Buffered Formalin (NBF). The laboratory keeps 10% NBF, sponges, and cassettes available. Samples that have been properly fixed should be transferred into 70% ethanol alcohol and taken to the laboratory for further processing. Please call the histology staff if you need guidance in these procedures.

• All submitted tissue should he placed in cassettes and properly labeled with a unique ID number assigned by you. Please do not fill the cassettes to capacity with tissue. This practice will result in poor tissue processing.

• Cassettes should be labeled and identified using the following system: JD08-####-tissue type. Where JD represents the first letter of the first and last name of the investigator, 00 represents the last two digits of the year, and #### is the unique ID number given by the investigator along with the tissue that is in the cassette. An example: for Jane Doe in the year 2007, 253 is the investigators unique ID number assigned by him/her and the tissue submitted is ovary. Would be: JD08-253-Ovary

• Use a soft #2 pencil or Secureline Marker II/ Superfrost to label the cassettes. Do Not Use Sharpie Markers. The ink can’t with stand the chemicals used in processing.

• For projects that require specially coated slides, please provide these slides at the submission of your project to the histology laboratory. Histology provides slides for routine hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) and IHC staining only.

• Clearly identify all tissue containers submitted and all slides provided with investigator’s submitter’s name.

• Please give one week prior notification for submissions that have a large number of samples or which will necessitate frequent and continuous submissions to the histology lab.
  

 Frozen Section Protocols:

Samples submitted for frozen sections are required to be in clamshell molds or cryo-molds. The laboratory keeps clamshell molds and is available by request only.

• Place a small amount of OCT in the mold and set on dry ice to slightly cool. OCT will begin to thicken and turn hazy, add the sample and fill/ cover with OCT.

• Label the molds according the example given for cassette labeling.

• Place molds on dry ice and transport to the lab to be stored in -80° C freezer until it is cut.

• You should contact the core staff in advance for all frozen sections that are going to be performed. To ensure proper handling of all samples.

• Some antibodies for IHC stains require frozen sections; please contact the core tech to inquire about these particular antibodies.

   Human Tissue Acquisition Shared Resource Tissue Procurement:
  

  In order for the core to collect and provide human research material, each investigator is required to complete a tissue procurement request form. The investigator should indicate the tissue type and amount of tissue needed, describe tissue storage and transfer conditions (e.g., media, snap freezing, and sterility requirements) and specifies limiting factors in tissue collection (e.g. age, sex, race, etc.).
  

  Application Process:

  Investigators must submit a completed application. This application can be picked up at room: 3121 located in the West Basic Sciences Building or you can request for an application to be sent through e-mail. Once the application is received it will go through an approval process and you will be contacted in 2-3 business days.

  If any information need for completion of the application is missing, the application will be in pending status until we receive the necessary documents. Procurement for your project will not begin until that information is received.

  Please read over the application carefully before completing and turning it in. All fees are included on the application, if you are requiring any histological services to be performed please look at the core facility fees and services for prices.
  

  Agreement For Use Of The Core Facility And Its Tissue

  The recipient agrees to acknowledge the contributions of the Meharry Medical College-Human Tissue Acquisition Shared Resource Core in all publications resulting from the use of the lab and the tissues. Recommended wording to the methods or acknowledgement section is as follows:

  For tissue: “Tissue Samples were provided by the Meharry Medical College-Human Tissue Acquisition Shared Resource Core which is funded by U54 Cancer Grant/ National Cancer Institute. Other investigators may have received specimens from the same subject.”

  For histology and immunohistochemistry services: “All histology and immunohistochemistry services were provided by the Meharry Medical College-Human Tissue Acquisition Shared Resource Core which is funded by U54 Cancer Grant/ National Cancer Institute.”