Cooperative Human Tissue Network

The Cooperative Human Tissue Network (CHTN) is an NIH/NCI funded resource to provide human tissues and fluids from routine procedures to investigators who utilize human biospecimens in their research. Unlike tissue banks, the CHTN works prospectively with each investigator to tailor specimen acquisition and processing to meet their specific project requirements. Through a prospective procurement model, the CHTN satisfies investigator requests with tissue collected specifically for the client’s protocol.

The CHTN's core mission is to serve the public good in fostering biomedical research by collecting and distributing high quality, well-characterized human biospecimens to the scientific community. Since 1987, the CHTN Eastern Division (CHTNED) at Penn has served over 850 researchers who would not otherwise have had access to the tissue that they needed for their work. CHTN provides well-characterized biospecimens to investigators working in the fields of neoplasia, autoimmune disease, degenerative diseases and aging. Research projects include utilization of techniques of molecular biology, immunobiology, proteomics, genomics, and investigations of mutations, nucleic acid chemistry, and microRNA in disease. This research conducted with CHTN specimens has resulted in a growing bibliography of over 3900 publications, 100 patents and 200 patent applications pending.
 
The CHTNED is administratively managed through the University of Pennsylvania' Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine. The CHTNED administrative offices and laboratory are housed in the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.