The Neurodegenerative Disease Brain Bank (NDBB) was established in 2008 and serves as a repository for nervous system tissue donated for research purposes. The NDBB is committed to advancing the understanding of neurodegenerative disease by performing comprehensive neuropathological characterization of patients who participated in clinical research during life and by providing tissue to leading investigators worldwide.

Tissue Requests

To begin the tissue request process, please email [email protected]. More information can be found at the Seeley Selective Vulnerability Research Laboratory website.

NDBB Code of Ethics

Informed Consent

We honor the gift of donation and treat donors, their bereaved families, and all tissues with care and respect. The donation is voluntary, and we respect the decisions of donors and their families. Informed consent is provided by the donor’s next of kin. For questions about the Autopsy Program, please contact the autopsy coordinator at 415.476.1681 or [email protected].

Procedure

After the NDBB is notified of a donor’s death, rapid procurement is arranged. The tissue is analyzed at the NDBB and stored in the repository for future research. The neuropathology report is shared with the next of kin.

Privacy

We protect the confidentiality of our donors. Tissue maintained in the NDBB is deidentified and only authorized researchers have access to identifiers. Future recipients will not receive direct identifiers with specimens.

Tissue Sharing

The tissue is shared with qualified investigators whose research is of superb scientific quality. The tissue is shared under the provision of a material transfer agreement (MTA). The MTA restricts the use of tissue to one study, prohibits the transfer of tissue to anyone outside of the recipient organization without prior written approval of the NDBB, and requires the recipient organization to cite the contribution of the NDBB in any publications resulting from the use of the tissue. MTA request applications are reviewed by the UCSF Memory and Aging Center Resource Request Committee. To be considered, investigators must submit an application, description of research, and governing Institutional Review Board approval letter.

Safety

The NDBB follows universal precautions set by the Centers for Disease Control. The NDBB maintains current Biological Use Authorization (BUA) certification and undergoes regular Environmental Health and Safety inspections. Only certified laboratory staff are authorized to ship biological materials. All biological materials are shipped according to federal and international regulations. Working with postmortem tissue carries the potential risk of exposure to infectious diseases. The NDBB does not test tissue for infectious agents. Tissue recipients must follow universal precautions and consider tissue potentially hazardous.

Contact

For more information about the NDBB and its tissue-sharing procedure, please contact the administrative manager at 415.502.7459. For questions about the autopsy program, please contact the autopsy coordinator at 415.476.1681 or [email protected].

Neurodegenerative Disease Brain Bank (NDBB) Director
William W. Seeley, MD
Professor of Neurology
UCSF Memory and Aging Center
415.476.2793
[email protected]