Locating Biospecimens

Since 1984, NACC has gathered data on various tissues stored at the ADRCs for their participants. Some tissues are from autopsies and others are from living subjects. Postmortem specimens include brain tissue (frozen, formalin-fixed, and paraffin-block) and CSF. Antemortem specimens include DNA, serum, and CSF.

Clinical and pathological features characterizing the participants who supplied tissue are defined in the MDS, UDS, or NP data forms or guidebooks.

Tissue Location Request

To find specimens from the well-characterized participants in NACC’s longitudinal UDS data set, please submit a NACC Data Request. On the Data Request form, provide NACC with

A brief description of the type(s) of tissue you are looking for
Any parameters needed to narrow your selection

NACC will search for ADRCs that may have your target tissues and then put you in touch with those Centers.

Biospecimen Resource Locator Tool

It's possible that the biospecimens you're looking for are not from UDS participants. To find information on biospecimens banked at the ADRCs from participants who may not be represented in the UDS, use the Biospecimen Resource Locator Tool on this page to:

Filter by tissue type, neuropathologic disease, etc.
Find contact information for who you can submit biospecimen-sharing requests to at the Center(s).

Please note that the tissues reported as stored at the ADRC may not reflect the Center’s current inventory, as tissue samples are often depleted over time or unavailable for sharing. Thus, all estimates of availability are rough estimates.

Biospecimen locator

Tissue location request

To request information from the NACC database on the location of various tissues, please provide the information requested below Drawing mainly from data in the NACC NP Data Set, NACC will search for Alzheimer's Disease Centers that may have your target tissues, and then put you in touch with those Centers.

Steps for requesting tissue from Centers:

Work with NACC to develop a list of subjects who may have specimens available at Centers (based on your eligibility criteria). NACC will provide sample-size tables by Center, focusing on the five or 10 Centers that have the most specimens of interest. This will give you a rough estimate of the number of subjects with specimens at each Center. More specific information on the samples (e.g., brain tissue region available) can be obtained once you contact the individual Centers.
Use the list NACC develops to identify the ADRCs that you would like to contact to request specimens.
Once you have determined the ADRCs you would like to contact, use the sample letters to draft a letter to the Center(s), explaining your proposed study. Your letter must include a statement similar to the following: "Please note that this is neither a NACC request nor a NACC initiative, and your participation is entirely voluntary." NACC will review your letter, and then we will provide you with contact information for each Center.
Email the approved letter to each Center. If the Center agrees to participate, you email the list of NACCIDs of interest to the Center. If at any point either you or the Center needs more information about a given subject, contact NACC for assistance.

[Brendan to place Tissue locator from here]