Rapid autopsy and tissue bank for pancreatic cancer

Tissue Core-UNMC Rapid Autopsy Program

NIH-funded research University of Oklahoma Hlth Sciences Ctr · NIH-11181545

Collects tissue and blood from people with pancreatic cancer, including rapid autopsy donations, so researchers can learn why treatments stop working.

Quick facts

Grant typeNIH-funded research
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionUniversity of Oklahoma Hlth Sciences Ctr NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (Oklahoma City, United States)
Project IDNIH-11181545 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

This program creates a centralized tissue and biofluid bank that collects samples from people treated for pancreatic cancer, including surgical specimens, blood, and donations made after rapid autopsy. Samples include malignant and nearby normal tissues, metastatic sites, lymphocytes, plasma, and serum, and are linked to de-identified clinical information. The core coordinates with surgery, oncology clinics, patient-monitoring programs, and local organ procurement agencies to build longitudinal collections across disease stages. Stored specimens are processed and shared with approved researchers to support studies on treatment resistance.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: People diagnosed with pancreatic cancer (or their families for postmortem donation) treated at participating centers who agree to donate surgical samples, blood during care, or rapid autopsy tissue are the ideal candidates.

Not a fit: People without pancreatic disease or those unwilling/unable to donate samples or participate in rapid-autopsy processes are unlikely to benefit directly from this resource.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: Could help researchers identify mechanisms of treatment resistance in pancreatic cancer and speed development of better therapies.

How similar studies have performed: Other rapid-autopsy biobanks for cancer have successfully revealed how tumors change and resist therapy, so this approach builds on established, productive methods.

Where this research is happening

Oklahoma City, United States

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Conditions Cancer CenterCancers
Last reviewed 2026-06-13 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.