| From:
| Date:  Thu, 25 Sep 2003 11:10:53 -0500
| Subject:  formalin
|
|
|
| Greetings BBAG members,
|
| I am writing in response to postings last month concerning formalin
| collections:
|
| Modern methods of research and diagnostics are increasingly turning
| to the molecular genetic level. Thus it is becoming increasingly
| important for those dealing with any aspect of tissue sampling to be
| aware of the potential downstream utility of the specimens that they
| collect. Simply maintaining jars of formalin-fixed material is
| difficult to justify in light of storage space and maintenance costs
| compared with the lack of downstream utility of the specimen for
| molecular analysis (formalin causes DNA to bind to histone proteins,
| making it useless for all but the crudest of molecular assays and it
| virtually destroys RNA).
|
| What many research hospitals and biotech companies conducting
| pathology research prefer to do is: collect the tissue specimen in
| OCT buffer and cryopreserve it. Such a sample is amenable to both
| traditional sectioning as well as DNA/RNA analysis - which helps
| justify collecting and retaining the sample since it has value for
| other as yet unidentified research purposes. It is important to
| realize that such a sample takes up far less space than a jar of

| formalin, and assuming the freezer doesnt malfunction, requires less

| maintenance as well. Cryopreserved tissues can be used in molecular

| assays ranging from paternity exclusion, to retrospective
| epidemiological surveys and environmental toxicology examinations.
| Such a collection is of far greater prospective value than
| traditional collections and individuals/institutions need to
| carefully examine the underlying justification for making biomaterial
| collections in light of limited financial resources. A plastic
| cryovial is far less expensive than a jar of formalin - and OCT
| buffer is much less toxic than formalin.
|
| It is easy to make a strong case for archiving frozen tissues,
| despite the up front capital costs for freezers... Ultimately, using
| liquid Nitrogen protects your collection from mechanical freezer
| failure and power outages, as well as providing temperatures cold
| enough to preserve viable cells, including gametes and embryos. Thus,
| Many institutions can benefit from establishing a centralized
| biomaterial core facility which can serve many different researchers
| - from vets and pathologists, to conservation geneticists and repro

| specialists. It can also be advantageous to enter into a strategic
| partnership with a dedicated cryostorage facility which can backup
| your collection at a remote fail-safe location.
|
| No matter what you collect or how you collect it, I cannot overstate
| the importance of having an electronic inventory of your collection
| for rapid information dissemination and specimen retrieval. A
| collection only has value when researchers are aware of its existence
| and contents. Fortunately, there are a number of prepackaged
| software/hardware systems which will allow for computer generation of
| specimen labels, sample tracking, etc.
|
| The international Society for Biological and Environmental
| Repositories (ISBER) will have "Repository Design and Data
| Management" as a theme for our next annual meeting, to be held at the
| American Museum of Natural History May 11-14, 2004. Those interested
| in learning more about modern biomaterial collections and their
| management should consider attending this conference. In the mean
| time, feel free to contact me if you have any specific questions and
| I will do my best to steer to someone who can help answer them (if I
| cannot do so myself).
|
| Robert Hanner, Ph.D.
| Scientific Program Director
| Coriell Institute for Medical Research
| 403 Haddon Avenue

| Camden, NJ 08103
|
| Voice: (856) 757-9727
| Fax: (856) 757-9737
| http://cimr.umdnj.edu
|
| President
| International Society for Biological and Environmental Repositories
| http://www.ISBER.org
|
| >
| >| With respect to Scott's question, "wet" formalin-fixed tissues have been
| >| placed in glass jars with screw top lids for long-term storage.  At the
| >| present time, these tissues are being kept permanantly.  Full sets of
| >| tissue are trimmed in, paraffin embedded, and a set of glass slides is
| >| prepared for the majority of the collection animals.  The blocks and
| >| glass slides are also permanently kept.  All of the materials are
| >| presently housed on-site either in a moderately sized room off our
| >| histology lab or in a large metal "container" behind the Health Center.
| >| What happens when all the room is filled?  Not yet sure.  It is likely
| >| that over the next little while (year or two) we will have to rethink
| >| our policy of keeping everything forever since space issues and several
| >| other problems that John detailed quite nicely (maintenance of the jars
| >| - topping them off, clean-up, and personnel time to manage the archived
| >| tissues) are and will continue to be problems.  It is likely that blocks
| >| and slides will be kept permanently and that decisions will have to be
| >| made about the formalin fixed tissues.  I can contact you at a later
| >| date once we have decided what our course for the future will be.
| >|
| >| Regarding the usefulness of tissues for molecular diagnostic techniques
| >| after long-term formalin fixation...I have little expertise in this
| >| area, however I seem to have heard or read similar information to what
| >| John describes and have also gotten mixed results when I have run immuno
| >| on tissues that have been stored for a long time in formalin before
| >| being paraffin embedded.
| >|
| >| D
| >|
| >| D McAloose, VMD, Diplomate ACVP
| >| Acting Head, Department of Pathology
| >| Wildlife Conservation Society
| >| Department of Pathology
| >| 2300 Southern Blvd
| >| Bronx, NY  10460
| >| (718)  220-7105
| >| dmcaloose@wcs.org
| >|

| >|

|

| >

| >|

| >| ----------------------------------------------------------------
| >| | From:
| >| | Date:  Wed, 30 Jul 2003 07:01:08 -0500
| >| | Subject:  Wet tissue archiving
| >| |
| >| |
| >| | [attachment below: attachment 279f2c-2]
| >| |
| >| | Hello all,
| >| |
| >| | I am trying to get a feel for methods of long-term storage of "wet"
| >| | formalin fixed tissues.  I currently use a heat sealed plastic bag
| >| | system in my lab, but am looking for other opinions concerning these
| >| | tissues.  Answers or discussion about any or all of these questions
| >| | would be great:
| >| |
| >| | 1. Do you think long term stored wet tissues have value (other than
| >| | histopathology)?
| >| |   I was under the general impression that tissues that sit in formalin
| >| | for years are no longer good for genetics, immuno, in situ, PCR, etc
| >| | 2. What is the best way to keep wet tissues long term (10,20,50 years
| >| or
| >| | more)?
| >| | 3. Have you had good or bad experience with plastic bags or any other
| >| | system?
| >| | 4. What happens when you run out of space?
| >| | 5. Some institutions actually trim all of their wet tissues into
| >| | paraffin blocks for storage...does anyone have experience with this?
| >| | 6. Any input would be welcomed
| >| |
| >| | Scott P. Terrell, DVM, Diplomate ACVP
| >| |
| >| | Veterinary Pathologist, Walt Disney World Animal Programs
| >| | Assistant Professor, Pathobiology, University of Florida College of
| >| | Veterinary Medicine
| >| |
| >| |
| >| | Office: (407)938-2746
| >| | Fax: (407): 938-1909
| >| |
| >| | Address:
| >| | Veterinary Services, Disney's Animal Kingdom
| >| | 1200 N. Savannah Cir
| >| | Bay Lake, FL 32830
| >| |
| >| |
| >| |
| >|
|
|
| --
|

--
Victoria L. Clyde, DVM
Staff Veterinarian
Milwaukee County Zoo
10001 West Blue Mound Road
Milwaukee, WI 53226
414-771-3040 zoo

414-256-5441 hospital
414-256-5451 office
414-256-2522 fax
vclyde@execpc.com

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