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Pathology Specimen Locator |
A distributed network of databases containing de-identified information on archived specimens from IRB-approved repositories within Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center affiliated institutions. |
What is PSL?
The Pathology Specimen Locator (PSL) is a distributed database developed and maintained by the Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center (DF/HCC) indexing millions of archived benign and malignant human specimens that can be used for translational studies such as biomarker discovery and validation. Investigators can use PSL to locate paraffin and frozen specimens available across the Harvard pathology departments. When specimens matching the study criteria are located, investigators can request tissue and pathology services.
Why PSL?
Many scientists are calling for a closer connection between research and routine care delivery. Human specimens are routinely collected yet infrequently shared for research studies such as biomarker discovery and validation. While many reports suggest that access to well-characterized human tissues represents a valuable research resource in the post-genomic era, few studies have access to tissue quantities large enough for high- throughput experimentation. Similarly, the related clinical information remains invaluable yet oftentimes inaccessible to investigators. To address these needs, the Pathology Specimen Locator supports translational research studies that require human specimens and related clinical information.