The AIDS and Cancer Resource (ACSR) was established by the National Cancer Institute to encourage and facilitate research on HIV and associated malignancies. The ACSR is the country’s leading nationwide multi-site source for well documented tissue and biological samples serving investigators working in the fields of HIV/AIDS and related cancer, virology, immunology, pathology, epidemiology, tumor biology, assay development, as well as others.

The ACSR is a bio-repository for HIV-infected human materials from cancer HIV/AIDS patients, and from appropriate HIV-negative controls. In addition to operating its large existing specimen bank, ACSR, upon request, searches for and acquires specimens not currently in the bank to meet the special needs of approved investigations.

The ACSR continues to develop special sets of specimens including:

• Serial specimens from patients involved in clinical trials
• Matched tumor and control specimens
• Multi-site autopsy specimens
• Lymphoma epidemiology study specimens
• Male/female derived specimens from all AIDS risk categories
• Internationally obtained specimens
• Tissue micro-arrays

Basic research into the pathogenesis of AIDS-related malignancies depends upon the availability of properly preserved tissue and body fluid specimens. Because the ACSR scientists are themselves actively involved in the study of HIV disease, ACSR is able to acquire specimens that anticipate therapeutic and scientific advances.

The ACSR Bank provides formalin-fixed paraffin embedded tissues, fresh frozen tissues, malignant cell suspension, fine needle aspirates, and cell lines from patients with HIV-related malignancies. The Bank also contains serum, plasma, urine, bone marrow, cervical and anal specimens, saliva, semen, and multi-site autopsy tissues from patients with HIV-related malignancies including those who have participated in clinical trials. The ACSR has an associated databank that contains prognostic, staging, outcome and treatment data on patients from whom tissues were obtained. The banked specimens can be used for routine histology, immunohistochemistry, in situ hybridization, RNA, DNA, and protein analysis. The user-friendly database is linked to every specimen.

The ACSR will provide specimens and patient data to qualified investigators with sound research protocols in accordance to the priorities established by the Research Evaluation and Decision Panel (REDP), an independent panel of experts who review applications for scientific merit and priority. The specimens and clinical data are available for research studies, particularly those that translate basic research findings into clinical applications.

The ACSR is always expanding its existing specimen program with a broadened scope of collection, new technologies, and a new central coordinating office at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) which manages central database functions, application processing and outreach activities. The office will also address human subject research issues relevant to its services. In addition to UCSF, ACSR sites include George Washington University, and Ohio State University and collaborative sites to network internationally.