COVID-19 Pandemic Impact on Cooperative Human Tissue Network Midwestern Division Service to Investigators

Biopreservation and BiobankingVol. 19, No. 5 Letter to the EditorFree AccessCOVID-19 Pandemic Impact on Cooperative Human Tissue Network Midwestern Division Service to InvestigatorsRandal L. Mandt, David G. Nohle, Ruhani Sardana, Marta E. Couce, Leona W. Ayers, and Anil V. ParwaniRandal L. MandtOhio Consortium, Cooperative Human Tissue Network (CHTN), Midwestern Division (MWD), Columbus, Ohio, USA.Department of Pathology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA.Search for more papers by this author, David G. NohleAddress correspondence to: David G. Nohle, MS, Department of Pathology, The Ohio State University, 2001 Polaris Parkway, Columbus, OH 43240, USA E-mail Address: [email protected]https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9974-8857Department of Pathology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA.Search for more papers by this author, Ruhani SardanaDepartment of Pathology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA.Search for more papers by this author, Marta E. CouceOhio Consortium, Cooperative Human Tissue Network (CHTN), Midwestern Division (MWD), Columbus, Ohio, USA.Department of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA.Search for more papers by this author, Leona W. AyersOhio Consortium, Cooperative Human Tissue Network (CHTN), Midwestern Division (MWD), Columbus, Ohio, USA.Department of Pathology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA.Search for more papers by this author, and Anil V. ParwaniOhio Consortium, Cooperative Human Tissue Network (CHTN), Midwestern Division (MWD), Columbus, Ohio, USA.Department of Pathology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA.Search for more papers by this authorPublished Online:18 Oct 2021https://doi.org/10.1089/bio.2021.0070AboutSectionsPDF/EPUB Permissions & CitationsPermissionsDownload CitationsTrack CitationsAdd to favorites Back To Publication ShareShare onFacebookXLinked InRedditEmail Dear Editor,The Cooperative Human Tissue Network (CHTN) Midwestern Division (MWD) is one of six divisions comprising the National Cancer Institute-sponsored prospective human tissue procurement program that serves investigators in the USA and Canada by providing quality human tissue and reliable clinical data.1 Throughout its 32-year history, it has provided proficient, safe, and secure services for procuring, processing, archiving, and distributing human tissue for basic and early translational studies. CHTN has previously avoided handling known-to-be-infected samples among the great variety of diseases, anatomic sites, and standard/custom preparations that it procured.2With already ever-changing clinical research further influenced by worldwide events, a state-of-the-art biorepository must flexibly and efficiently manage crisis. The COVID-19 pandemic negatively impacted most academic and government translational research and basic science, substantially shifting research focus toward COVID-19. Careers of physician-scientists were impacted; many pivoted from research to patient care. Access to personal protective equipment (PPE) used during procurement was disrupted. Elective surgical procurement opportunities were reduced. Investigator research laboratories fluctuated abruptly between open and closed and some projects were delayed or canceled. To protect research in progress before COVID, as well as physician-scientist careers, biorepositories had to be vigilant, responsible, and compensate quickly.To meet these challenges, the CHTN (1) operated continuously during the shutdowns by adapting the procurement operation to ensure physical distancing and appropriate PPE, (2) continued to work with active investigator laboratories, (3) obtained IRB approval to increase the use of waiver of consent and to ship known-to-be-infected fixed samples, and (4) shifted some staff to work remotely.3 Although initiation of procurement was delayed at recently added MWD subsites, Case Western Reserve University was able to keep procuring, even sending some same-day shipments of fresh samples, particularly to active commercial investigators.We compared the number of distributed samples from March through July 2020 to the same period in 2019, focusing on the change in types of collected specimens, autopsies, and surgeries performed and number of COVID-19-related tissue requests received and filled. In total, 1572 samples were procured for investigators by CHTN MWD in March through July 2020, 36 (2.2%) less than the same period in 2019 (1608). In total, 1889 samples were shipped by CHTN MWD in March–July 2020, 221 (10.5%) less than the same period in 2019 (2110). The mix of samples shipped in these months in 2020 differed from this period in 2019: shipments of fresh decreased 14.2% (858 vs. 1000), fixed decreased 45.6% (523 vs. 962), and frozen increased 243.2% (508 vs. 148). After IRB approval to distribute fixed samples from COVID-19 patients, four such requests were received for four anatomic sites from autopsies. During these months in 2020, 100 samples were collected from autopsies, 25 (33.3%) less than those from autopsies in this period in 2019 (125).CHTN MWD is well positioned to support present and future research studies. Despite the pandemic, it operated at nearly 90% of typical service capacity and adapted to handling known-to-be-infected samples related to the pandemic.Funding InformationNational Cancer Institute (NCI/NIH), UM1CA239749.References1. CHTN Midwestern Division web page. Available at: https://wexnermedical.osu.edu/human-tissue-resource-network/collaborative-human-tissue-network (accessed April 29, 2021). Google Scholar2. CHTN web site. Available at: https://www.chtn.org/ (accessed April 29, 2021). Google Scholar3. Scarl RT, Parwani A, Yearsley M. From glass-time to screen-time: A pathology resident's experience with digital sign-out during the coronavirus 2019 pandemic. Arch Pathol Lab Med 2021;145:644–645. Crossref, Medline, Google ScholarFiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Volume 19Issue 5Oct 2021 InformationCopyright 2021, Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishersTo cite this article:Randal L. Mandt, David G. Nohle, Ruhani Sardana, Marta E. Couce, Leona W. Ayers, and Anil V. Parwani.COVID-19 Pandemic Impact on Cooperative Human Tissue Network Midwestern Division Service to Investigators.Biopreservation and Biobanking.Oct 2021.359-359.http://doi.org/10.1089/bio.2021.0070Published in Volume: 19 Issue 5: October 18, 2021Online Ahead of Print:September 28, 2021PDF download

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