The National Cell Repository for Alzheimer's Disease (NCRAD) plays a key role in the National Institute on Aging's (NIA) efforts to identify those at risk for Alzheimer disease (AD) and develop improved treatments to delay or prevent disease onset NCRAD was established as a cooperative agreement with the NIA to serve as the primary source of sample sharing for all NIA-funded dementia studies. Under the advisement of NIA and the Cell Bank Advisory Committee, it is the mission of NCRAD to remove critical barriers hindering research progress to understand the etiology of dementia. To achieve this goal, NCRAD has two primary functions: sample banking and sample distribution. NCRAD serves as a central repository banking samples from ongoing NIA funded studies using uniform protocols with extensive quality measures. The type of samples being banked has expanded to include DNA, cell lines, plasma, serum, brain tissue and RNA. NCRAD works closely with the National Alzheimer Coordinating Center (NACC), another NIA core facility that serves as the data coordinating center for all the Alzheimer Disease Centers (ADCs). Together, NCRAD and NACC serve as key resources within the Alzheimer Disease Genetics Consortium (ADGC), coordinating the collection of samples from the 29 ADCs. NCRAD also widely distributes samples both to investigators for their own analyses as well as to central cores, where APOE genotyping, genome wide SNP arrays, and now whole genome and whole exome sequencing studies are performed. We propose to expand our successful efforts with the following specific aims;1. To provide a state-of-the-art central bio specimen repository for all NIA-funded dementia studies that includes detailed standard operating procedures for the secure banking of DNA, cell lines, plasma, serum, RNA, and brain tissue. 2. To facilitate and foster sample sharing by distributing data and biospecimens to all qualified investigators for use in their research studies.
There are a number of barriers that hamper the ability of researchers to perform successful studies of Alzheimer disease and related dementias. These include the ability to share samples, access to large numbers of high quality samples and effective sharing of research results. NCRAD under the advisement of NIA and CBAC will lift these ban-iers and facilitate sample and data sharing among dementia researchers.
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