About Mid-Region ACSR

ACSR

The AIDS and Cancer Specimen Resource (ACSR) is a tissue and biological fluids bank of HIV-related specimens. The National Cancer Institute (NCI) established ACSR to encourage and facilitate research in HIV-related malignancies. The ACSR is administered by the NCI Office of HIV and AIDS Malignancy (OHAM). This consortium of universities and hospitals was originally called the AIDS Malignancy Bank (AMB) or AIDS and Cancer Specimen Bank (ACSB).

Malignant and other tissues from HIV infected patients are needed more than ever to provide opportunities for critical translational research. Translational research focuses on the pathogenesis of AIDS related malignancies and other human tissue for study. Scientists now have the ability to ask and answer more questions than during the early phase of the AIDS epidemic.

The ACSR is a resource of HIV-infected tissues and other specimens for use by qualified investigators to facilitate their research. The ACSR also provides qualified researchers with tissue, cell, blood and fluid specimens, as well as clinical data, from patients with HIV-related malignancies and other HIV diseases.

The ACSR operates as a consortium with a Central Operations and Data Coordination Center (CODCC) and three regions: West Coast, Mid-Region and East Coast. For more detail, browse the central ACSR web site or see:

Ayers LW, Silver S, McGrath MS, Orenstein JM.
The AIDS and Cancer Specimen Resource: Role in HIV/AIDS scientific discovery.
Infect Agent Cancer. 2007 Mar 2;2:7.

Mid-Region

The Ayers Laboratory in The Ohio State University Department of Pathology administers the Mid-Region of the ACSR. Leona W. Ayers, MD directs the Mid-Region ACSR and serves as Principle Investigator. The Mid-Region ACSR is affiliated with the Human Tissue Resource Network (HTRN).

In addition to the co-located Ohio State University Medical Center, James Cancer Hospital & Richard J. Solove Research Institute, there are 2 major affiliates in this region:

  • Emory University
  • Rush University

The Mid-Region ACSR conducted a TMA Workshop with colleagues in India In January 2007.

The Mid-Region ACSR is working with colleagues in Africa as a capacity building activity:

  • University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya
  • Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda

The Mid-Region ACSR maintains a private web site, called the Mid-Region Workspace, that is restricted to affiliates who are provided logins.

Sub-Saharan Africa Lymphoma Consortium (SSALC)

The Mid-Region ACSR has established a program to recruit colleagues in Africa to survey lymphoma and build capacity (see www.ssalc.org).

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