Translational Therapy Shared Resource
The Translational Therapy Shared Resource (TTSR) provides state-of-the-art translational research support services to Masonic Cancer Center members to facilitate the monitoring of clinical trials and the development of novel cellular and immune-based therapies. Transitioning sophisticated laboratory assays and the manufacturing of biotherapeutic products to the clinic can be difficult and often represents a significant hurdle in moving laboratory studies to the clinic.
TTSR works directly with members of the scientific programs at the preclinical, clinical, and laboratory levels, with the goal of developing clinical trials to test novel therapies. TTSR has 2 major components: Molecular and Cellular Therapeutics (MCT) and the Translational Therapy Laboratory (TTL).
Molecular and Cellular Therapeutics
Molecular and Cellular Therapeutics is a cGMP-compliant production facility. For more information about MCT visit their website.
The Translational Therapy Laboratory
The Translational Therapy Laboratory provides sample processing, immune monitoring, and biorepository management; it is the central laboratory that receives and processes research blood samples from patients enrolled in clinical trials. See information below about TTL services facilities and rates.
Use Our Services
To use our services, you will need to create a project in the CTSI portal and initiate a request for TTL services. We require a copy of a clinical protocol or laboratory manual, including a schedule of samples to be collected and services to be provided, so that we can prepare a budget estimate. If you choose to use TTL services, we will need confirmation of an IRB-approved protocol and a Chart String before we can accept samples in the lab. Billing is also done via the CTSI portal.
We encourage you to contact us during the protocol design for assistance in determining the optimal sample collection time and laboratory assays to answer your research questions. We can provide scientific expertise and procedural support to assist you with the institutional review process and the logistics of collecting research samples as part of a clinical trial.
Facilities
The immune monitoring and biorepository components of TTL are physically located in the Mayo Memorial Building, adjacent to the Masonic Cancer Research Building (MCRB) and the University of Minnesota Medical Center, Fairview.
The sample processing area (A410 Mayo) and an adjacent space used for specialized assays (A405 Mayo) contain biological safety cabinets, incubators, microscopes, counters, refrigerators, centrifuges, and freezers. A490/492 Mayo across the hall houses 2 -80C freezers, 5 large-capacity liquid nitrogen (LN2) storage tanks and a clinical-grade controlled-rate freezer.
A recently acquired satellite freezer storage space in F130 Diehl Hall currently houses 3 large-capacity LN2 storage tanks and 3 -80C freezers and provides sufficient space to house additional equipment necessary to accommodate a planned increase in banked specimens.
All TTL freezers are connected to PSECC, the University of Minnesota 24-hour electronic monitoring system, and TTL staff are notified if any equipment goes into alarm outside of working hours.
TTL uses the flow cytometers in the Flow Cytometry Shared Resource facility in MCRB and works closely with them.
In conjunction with the Clinical Trials Office (CTO) and the Clinical Informatics Shared Services (CISS) shared resources, TTL has created a reliable infrastructure to facilitate the collection and testing of research samples, as well as the retrieval of existing data and stored samples.
TTL licenses a Microsoft Access–based LIMS database application, MSC-LIMS, which allows for sample tracking, work-flow management, data entry, and data reporting. In addition, TTL uses the freezer inventory database, Freezerworks to manage the biorepository. MSC-LIMS and Freezerworks are supported by CISS and are part of the PI Dashboard application that provides integrated views of clinical and research data.
Rates
| Test | Description | Internal Rate |
| Lab Hourly | Hourly rate for assay development or project | $159.90 |
| Cell Process | MNC Processing (ficoll or no ficoll) of a blood or bone marrow sample (up to 100 mL). Includes ficoll, cell counts, freezing MNC in up to 10 cryovials, aliquot storage in liquid nitrogen freezer. | $141.19 |
| Cell Process- Cytoreduction | MNC Processing (ficoll or no ficoll) of an apheresis or cytoreduction product. Includes ficoll or wash, cell count, freezing MNC in up to 300 cryovials, aliquot storage in liquid nitrogen freezer. |
$665.02
|
| Sample Process (Simple) | Process sample by standard centrifugation or simple process, aliquot into up to 10 cryovials, store aliquots in -20C or -80C freezer. | $32.61 |
| Sample Process (Complex) | Process sample by non-standard or multiple centrifugation steps, or other complex process, including adding secondary reagent to aliquot. Aliquot into up to 10 cryovials, store aliquots in -20C or -80C freezer. | $54.87 |
| Sample Login/Store | Receive sample (single sample type and time point), login, label and store in TTL at RT, 4C, -20C or -80C. |
$11.65 |
| Legacy freezer storage: LN2 | 2 years after the last sample from a study is received TTL will begin charging inidcated rate every 6 months for each box (100 cryovials) in LN2 storage, or the investigator can retrieve the samples. | $59.29 |
| Legacy freezer storage: -80C | 2 years after the last sample from a study is received TTL will begin charging inidcated rate every 6 months for each box (81 cryovials) in -80C storage, or the investigator can retrieve the samples. |
$26.29 |
| Shipping - labor only | TTL will ship samples on behalf of customer. Rate is per shipment; Customer provides box and FedEx account number. TTL will supply dry ice when required. Note: MTA must be in place prior to samples shipment. |
$69.88 |
| Shipping - labor, box, dry ice | TTL will ship samples on behalf of customer. Rate is per box; TTL provides box and dry ice, customer provides FedEx account number. Note: MTA must be in place prior to samples shipment. |
$100.12 |
| Cytotoxicity - First sample, min 6 samples | Chromium-51 based cytotoxicity assay. Service includes test for first sample against a target cell line. | $186.84 |
| Cytotoxicity - Additional Sample | Chromium-51 based cytotoxicity assay. For same cell line: Service includes test for each additional sample or incubation condition. |
$81.53 |
| FACS, 10 color surface, 1-2 tubes | Flow Cytometry based immunophenotyping (cell surface markers or intracellular markers, up to 10 markers). Service includes staining, acquisition, analysis, database import and data report. | $204.01 |
| CD107a/ Intracellular cytokine | Flow Cytometry based assay to measure CD107a expression and intracellular cytokine production in response to experimental conditions. Service includes culture, staining, acquisition, analysis, database import and data report. | $489.23 |
| CyTOF, Maxpar Direct Immune Profiling Assay (Validated 30 marker panel) | CyTOF based immunophentoyping (cell surface markers only). Service includes labeling, acquisition, analysis, database import and data report from MaxPar Pathsetter software. |
$488.64 |
| CyTOF, Maxpar Dry Tube with Commercial Expansion Panel | CyTOF based immunophentoyping (cell surface markers only), base panel + commercial expansion panel. Service includes labeling, acquisition, analysis, database import and data report from MaxPar Pathsetter software. |
$545.82 |
| CyTOF, Maxpar Dry Tube with Custom Expansion Panel/Intracellular Markers | CyTOF based immunophentoyping, base panel + customized expansion panel containing conjugated antibodies and/or intracellular markers. Service includes labeling, acquisition, analysis, database import and data report from MaxPar Pathsetter software. | $608.94 |
| CyTOF, 20-plex Barcode Assay (Up to 40 markers, minimum 20 samples) |
CyTOF based immunophentoyping (cell surface or intracellular markers). Service includes labeling, acquisition, analysis, database import and data report generated from Cytobank software. | $254.66 |
| CyTOF, Astrolabe Quantitative Analysis | Astrolabe software provides a machine-based analysis platform to analyze and quantitatively examine data across subjects and study timepoints and allows investigators to stratify based on parameters of interest. The statistical composite data views enable investigators to hone in on statistically significant variations in the data set. | $76.95 |
| CD3 Selection (Senescence) | Selection of CD3+ cells from a fresh PBMC or bone marrow sample using Stem Cell technologies EasySep Human T Cell Isolation Kit. | $76.95 |
| RNA Isolation | RNA isolation and cDNA synthesis of PBMC dry cell pellet or CD3+ dry cell pellet to prepare sample for qPCR. | $35.44 |
| qPCR (per probe) | Single-plex qPCR assay to measure p16INK4a. 18s background control is included in service; additional probes can be added upon request. |
$31.38 |
| Umbillical Cord Blood Unit | RESEARCH ONLY: Umbilical Cord Blood unit sourced from CryoCell. Investigator can purchase a fresh UCB unit or frozen UCB unit. This rate is the at-cost price of a UCB unit including FedEx priority overnight shipping. If purchasing fresh, 1 additional "Sample Login" service will be billed to cover administrative time. If purchasing frozen, 1 additional "Cell Process" service will be invoiced to cover TTL's cost of processing. |
$293.41 |