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 | MCC Member Rate | Non-MCC Member Rate | External |
| Lab Hourly | Non-standard assays; rate includes $28 of supplies and reagents per hour billed; customer will be billed separately if supply costs exceed this allowance | $114.83 | $135.10 | $220.21 |
| Cell Process | ||||
| Cell Process 1 | no ficoll, count, wash and freeze MNC, up to 10 cryovials, store in liquid nitrogen in TTL | $59.48 | $69.98 | $114.07 |
| Cell Process 1, no storage |
no ficoll, count, wash and freeze MNC, up to 10 cryovials; temporary storage in liquid nitrogen for up to 1 month | $51.12 | $60.15 | $98.04 |
| Cell Process 2 | ficoll, cell count pre and post ficoll, freeze MNC, up to 10 cryovials, store in liquid nitrogen in TTL | $98.51 | $115.89 | $188.90 |
| Cell Process 2, no storage |
ficoll, cell count pre and post ficoll, freeze MNC, up to 10 cryovials; temporary storage in liquid nitrogen for up to 1 month | $90.51 | $106.06 | $172.87 |
| Cell Process 3 | ficoll, cell count pre and post ficoll, freeze MNC, up to 10 cryovials, store in liquid nitrogen in TTL AND freeze lysed post-ficoll pellet (mainly granulocytes) for DNA, 4 cryovials, store at -80C in TTL | $121.73 | $143.21 | $233.44 |
| Cell Process- Cytoreduction | count, wash and freeze MNC, up to 300 cryovials, store in liquid nitrogen in TTL | $466.63 | $548.97 | $825.27 |
| Cell Process- Cytoreduction, no storage | count, wash and freeze MNC, up to 300 cryovials, store in liquid nitrogen in TTL | $430.36 | $506.30 | $825.27 |
| Other Sample Process | ||||
| Aliquot and store | aliquot sample without processing into up to 10 cryovials, store at -80C in TTL | $18.10 | $21.30 | $34.72 |
| Aliquot, no storage | aliquot sample without processing into up to 10 cryovials; temporary storage at -80C for up to 1 month | $13.92 | $16.38 | $26.70 |
| Process (simple), aliquot and store | Process sample by standard centrifugation or simple process, aliquot into up to 10 cryovials, store at -80C in TTL | $22.28 | $26.22 | $42.73 |
| Process (simple), aliquot, no storage | Process sample by standard centrifugation or simple process, aliquot into up to 10 cryovials; temporary storage at -80C for up to 1 month | $18.10 | $21.30 | $34.72 |
| Process (complex), aliquot and store | Process sample by non-standard or multiple centrifugation steps, or other complex process, aliquot into up to 10 cryovials, store at -80C in TTL | $39.77 | $46.79 | $76.27 |
| Process (complex), aliquot, no storage | Process sample by non-standard or multiple centrifugation steps, or other complex process, aliquot into up to 10 cryovials; temporary storage at -80C for up to 1 month | $35.59 | $41.87 | $68.25 |
| Sample (single), login and store | Receive sample (single sample type and time point), login, label and store in TTL | $16.72 | $19.67 | $32.06 |
| Sample (single), login, no storage | Receive sample (single sample type time point), login and label; temporary storage for up to 1 month OR login and transfer to antother lab | $12.54 | $14.75 | $24.04 |
| Sample (batch), login and store | Receive a batch of samples (multiple samples types and/or time points), login, label and store in TTL | $25.08 | $29.50 | $48.09 |
| Sample (batch), login, no storage | Receive a batch of samples (multiple samples types and/or time points), login and label; temporary storage for up to 1 month | $20.09 | $24.59 | $40.07 |
| Freezer storage | ||||
| Freezer storage, > 10, increments of 20 | if >10 cryovials frozen, additional charge per 20 cryovials stored in liquid nitrogen or at -80C in TTL | $24.42 | $28.73 | $46.83 |
| 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. | $41.79 | $49.17 | $80.15 |
| 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. | $12.54 | $14.75 | $24.04 |
| Shipping | ||||
| Shipping - labor only Domestic |
per box; study provides box, dry ice, fedex | $50.15 | $59.00 | $96.18 |
| Shipping - labor, box, dry ice Domestic |
per box; study provides fedex | $72.82 | $85.67 | $139.65 |
| Shipping - labor only International |
per box; study provides box, dry ice, international courier | $75.23 | $88.51 | $144.27 |
| Shipping - labor, box, dry ice International |
per box; study provides international courier | $97.90 | $115.18 | $187.74 |
| Cytotoxicity | ||||
| Cytotoxicity - 1 target | MNC: measure killing of one cell type (target) by Cr51 release | $156.94 | $184.63 | $300.95 |
| Cytotoxicity - 2 targets | MNC: measure killing of two cell types (targets) by Cr51 release | $219.15 | $257.83 | $420.26 |
| Phenotype | ||||
| FACS, 10 color surface, 5-6 tubes | includes staining, acquisition, analysis, database import | $177.32 | $208.61 | $340.03 |
| FACS, 10 color surface, 3-4 tubes | includes staining, acquisition, analysis, database import | $148.15 | $174.29 | $284.09 |
| FACS, 10 color surface, 1-2 tubes | includes staining, acquisition, analysis, database import | $123.50 | $145.29 | $236.83 |
| FACS, 10 color intracellular, 1-2 tubes | includes staining, acquisition, analysis, database import | $147.85 | $173.94 | $283.51 |
| FACS, 10 color intracellular, 3-4 tubes | includes staining, acquisition, analysis, database import | $162.37 | $191.02 | $311.36 |
| FACS, 10 color whole blood, 1-2 tubes | includes staining, acquisition, analysis, database import | $143.46 | $168.77 | $275.10 |
| Functional Tests | ||||
| CD107a/ Intracellular cytokine, 1 test condition | includes culture, staining, acquisition, analysis, database import; includes 2 controls and 1 experimental condition | $281.52 | $331.20 | $539.86 |
| CD107a/ Intracellular cytokine, 2-3 test conditions | includes culture, staining, acquisition, analysis, database import; includes 2 controls and 2-3 experimental conditions | $362.85 | $426.88 | $695.82 |
| Column enrichment, NK cells or CD4 cells | previous name: CD4 enrichment (MS column); now includes column enrichment, NK cells | $196.03 | $230.62 | $375.91 |
| Neutralization Assay | new for FY18; this test was developed for HM2014-26 | $187.52 | $220.61 | $359.59 |
| CFSE Suppression Assay | previous name: CFSE (does not include MS column) | $238.84 | $280.99 | $458.01 |
| Pentamer- 6 stains | per sample, up to 6 stains; pentamers will be billed directly to study | $158.22 | $186.14 | $303.41 |
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