UK Biospecimen Resources Can Support UK Research

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Nov. 21, 2019) — At the University of Kentucky, multiple innovative biospecimen resources are available to assist research. A video produced by the UK Center for Clinical and Translational Science (CCTS) highlights the biospecimen resources offered by the CCTS, the UK Markey Cancer Center, the UK Gill Heart Institute, and the Alzheimer’s Disease Center at the Sanders-Brown Center on Aging.

• More than 35,000 patients have enrolled in the CCTS Biospecimen Program, which collects left-over tissue from standard patient care to share with researchers. Regularly available specimens include serum, plasma, buffy coat, red blood, tissue, fat, cerebral spinal fluid, muscle, and arterial plaque.  If scientists need specific types of samples, the CCTS Biospecimen program can work with them to collect what they need. To learn more, contact biospecimens@uky.edu or visit the CCTS Biospecimens page.

•  The Biospecimen Procurement and Translational Pathology (BPTP) Shared Resource Facility at the Markey Cancer Center supports all facets of the use of human specimens, from collection to processing to analysis. Investigators utilizing the BPTP have access to a variety of resources such as fresh tissue collection for patient derived xenografts and organoid culture, and access to a large frozen specimen inventory with over 30,000 patient specimens, all with quality oversight by UK Department of Pathology faculty.  To learn more, visit ukhealthcare.uky.edu/bptp.

•  The UK Gill Cardiovascular Biorepository collaborates with surgeons and clinicians to collect blood and tissue samples from patients who have had heart attacks or are undergoing heart surgeries or transplants. These samples support investigators at UK and are also shared with about 30 research groups around the world who are also working to cure heart disease. To learn more, contact the procurement manager at ukycvbr@uky.edu.

• The Alzheimer’s Disease Center Biobank at the UK Sanders-Brown Center on Aging houses brain tissue and biofluids, and has been successful in altering basic perceptions in the field about dementia and Alzheimer’s. More than 5,000 biosamples were sent from this biobank last year alone. To learn more, contact Dr. Peter Nelson at pnels2@email.uky.edu.