Background: Cervical cancer remains a major global health concern, with disparities in screening access and outcomes, particularly among younger women in the United States. Although high-risk HPV infection is the primary etiologic factor, non-genetic and environmental contributors remain underexplored. We established the Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) Cervical Cytology Biorepository to support research on cervical cancer risk, molecular biomarkers, and gynecologic health disparities.
Methods: We implemented standardized protocols for recovery, processing, and long-term storage of residual ThinPrep Pap specimens from women aged 21-65 receiving routine gynecologic care across VCU Health outpatient clinics. Core elements included an opt-out consent model, an IRB-approved waiver for discarded cytology material, EHR linkage for longitudinal clinical data, and workflows for specimen recovery, aliquoting, and processing of pellet and supernatant fractions. Specimens are cryostored at -80 °C within the Goodwin Research Laboratory with quality control checks and secure data governance.
Results: The biorepository supports standardized recovery and processing of residual Pap specimens, yielding sufficient post-diagnostic volume and enabling high-quality genomic DNA extraction and metabolomic profiling. Pilot genomic and metabolomic data demonstrate that residual cervical cytology material provides adequate input for multi-omic analyses, confirming feasibility and scalability.
Conclusions: This protocol outlines a framework for establishing a cervical cytology biobank using residual clinical specimens. The integration of biospecimens with linked clinical and demographic data enables multidimensional research into cervical cancer etiologies and other gynecologic conditions.
Impact: This resource supports molecular epidemiology studies aimed at identifying biomarkers, understanding cervical cancer progression, and addressing reproductive health disparities in diverse populations.