Resource Limitations

• Many requesters prefer one or more of a few small anatomical structures such as the basal ganglia, or hippocampus. As frequently requested cases and anatomic regions are repeatedly sampled, anatomical landmarks may become more difficult to locate and select regions may be completed depleted. Repetitive cutting, freezing, and thawing may damage surrounding areas, rendering them unusable for research.
• It is not uncommon for individuals to expire on evenings, weekends, or holidays. The current protocol was designed to minimize the harvest- to- freezer time and to be performed by a non-neuropathologist on a 24/7/365 basis; hence, we rarely dissect out individual anatomical regions at autopsy. Such an approach would be prohibitively expensive.
• Many of the brains have been subject to distortion of anatomy due to destructive processes common in AIDS such as tumor, bleeding, or infection. For this reason, we cannot provide samples suitable for stereologic studies that demand well –preserved, bilateral anatomical integrity.
• We cannot provide samples for studies that will deplete an entire anatomical region or that will render large portions of the surrounding tissues unusable.
• We do not routinely provide the following samples although they may be available on a case by case basis:
  • Viable frozen PBMCs, due to cost (non-viable PBMCs are available on a case by case basis).
  • DNA sampling is not routinely supported by the grants, but such samples may be available on a case by case basis.
  • Frozen CSF white blood cells, due to the low concentration in CSF and high cost of processing
  • Fresh whole blood, due to the need for immediate shipping
  • Fresh tissue, due to the need for immediate shipping

Individual Banks may agree to fulfill non-standard requests for tissues and fluids providing:

1. The request is approved by the NNTC Steering Committee

2. Fulfilling the request does not interfere with the usual protocol of the Bank and does not interfere with normal sample collection procedures

3. The requester agrees to underwrite or reimburse in full the costs of collecting samples in a non-standard fashion (e.g., paying for on call time, IRB submission costs, special packing and shipping)

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