Biobank Specimen Request

Biobank Specimen Request2022-10-27T20:07:12-04:00

Indiana CTSI offers a centralized process for requesting biospecimens from its biobanks.

As part of your request, we will complete feasibility assessments to ensure we have or can obtain the biospecimens and data needed for your research.

Learn more about each of our affiliated biobanks below!

Indiana Biobank (IB)

The Indiana Biobank was established in July 2010 to create a “bank” of biospecimens that are linked to participants’ electronic medical information. Participants are recruited throughout the state of Indiana. Data and specimens are made available to academic and commercial researchers.

In addition to banked specimens, the Indiana Biobank offers prospective custom collections to obtain biospecimens and data meeting a researcher’s specific needs.

  • IB can recruit subjects meeting specific criteria.
  • IB can collect data not available in the electronic medical record at enrollment.
  • IB can collect specimens using investigator provided protocols.

For more information, visit the Indiana Biobank website.

Susan G. Komen® Tissue Bank (KTB) at the IU Simon Cancer Center

The Komen Tissue Bank was created in 2007 through a generous grant from Susan G. Komen®. It is a part of Indiana University. The Komen Tissue Bank is the only repository in the world for normal breast tissue and matched serum, plasma and DNA.

Types of biospecimens banked:

  • Fresh frozen tissue
  • Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue
  • Blood products including whole blood, plasma, and serum
  • DNA from lymphocytes

The KTB has also developed a virtual tissue bank that contains raw data from research conducted using KTB specimens along with each participant’s de-identified medical history annotation, H&E images of tissue specimens and mammograms from selected donors.

For more information, visit the Komen Tissue Bank website.

IUSCC Tissue Procurement and Distribution Core (TPDC)

The IU Simon Cancer Center (IUSCC) Tissue Procurement and Distribution Core was started in 1994 with the mission to collect remnant surgical tissue from oncology specimens. In 2007, the hematological malignancies were added to the targeted collections. These biospecimens can be annotated from participants’ electronic medical records. The specimens are annotated with basic pathological information and since 2011 basic history of the patient. If treatment therapies and outcomes are needed, they can be obtained but are not routinely recorded.

Types of biospecimens banked:

  • Frozen Tissue (Tumor, Normal Adjacent, Benign and Normal)
  • Paraffin Embedded Tissue (Tumor, Normal Adjacent, Benign and Normal)
  • Blood (Plasma, Buffy Coats and Monocular Cells)
  • CD selected cells
  • Bone Marrow Aspirate (Mononuclear Cells are isolated)
  • Bone Marrow Cores
  • Buccal Swabs (extracted upon request)
  • DNA or RNA (extracted upon request from blood or tissue)

For more information, visit the IUSCC TPDC website.

Building Blocks of Pregnancy Biobank (BBPB)

The Building Blocks of Pregnancy Biobank (BBPB) is a longitudinal, prospectively collected, linked pregnancy outcomes biobank within the Indiana University School of Medicine Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Collections occur in hospitals and clinics affiliated with IU School of Medicine physicians anytime during pregnancy, including labor and delivery. Since it started in 2009, the bank has had over 3,000 participants and collected over 55,000 samples. Many participants have a complete set of samples in all trimesters as well as labor and delivery.

Types of biospecimens banked:

  • Maternal blood (plasma, serum, DNA extracted from whole blood and residual whole blood)
  • Maternal urine
  • Placenta
  • Cord blood (plasma, serum, DNA extracted from whole blood and residual whole blood)

The BBPB can also work with researchers interested in prospective collections with biospecimens not currently represented.

For more information, visit the BBPB website.

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