To provide appropriate collection, storage, and distribution of specimens and medical data to local investigators who have approved IRB protocols for their specific research purposes.

The mission of the Louisville Cooperative Tissue Biorepository is to appropriately collect normal and abnormal tissues that are removed from the human body as a part of standard medical and surgical practice after adequate portions are secured by surgical pathologists to allow for correct diagnoses to be made. The LCTB securely stores appropriately collected human samples for research purposes and appropriately allocates these samples to local investigators for research purposes. The LCTB team appropriately documents all points in the process of obtaining informed consent, collection, storage, and allocation of tissues.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Patients undergoing surgery for removal or normal and abnormal tissues as part of standard medical and surgical practice

Exclusion Criteria:

• Patients with known systematic infections including septic patients with bacterial and viral infections, hepatitis, HIV, TB and other defined pathogens will not be included.

Patients undergoing surgery for removal of normal or abnormal tissues that are removed from the human body as part of standard medical and surgical practice at the University of Louisville Hospital, Norton Hospital downtown, Jewish Hospital downtown and Kosair Children's Hospital.