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.