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Subject: NEW CONTRACT ALLOWS NIGMS CELL REPOSITORY TO CONTINUE PROVIDING
K EY GENETIC RESEARCH RESOURCES


U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH

NIH News

National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS)
http://www.nigms.nih.gov/

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, December 14, 2004

CONTACTS:
Alison Davis
301-854-0633
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NEW CONTRACT ALLOWS NIGMS CELL REPOSITORY TO CONTINUE PROVIDING KEY
GENETIC RESEARCH RESOURCES

The National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) has awarded a
$14.6 million, 5-year contract to the Coriell Institute for Medical
Research in Camden, NJ, to continue operation of the NIGMS Human Genetic
Cell Repository

(HGCR). The repository is now in its 32nd year as an NIGMS-funded
research resource.

The HGCR provides cells and DNA for use in human genetic and genomic
research, speeding the discovery and investigation of genes linked to
disease. Using the repository collection, scientists can study both
common and rare disorders without having to locate appropriate cell
donors. Since its establishment in

1972, the HGCR has distributed more than 100,000 cell cultures and
282,000 DNA samples.

"High-quality, publicly available research resources are a critical
piece of the 21st-century scientific toolkit," said Jeremy M. Berg,
Ph.D., NIGMS director. "The NIGMS Human Genetic Cell Repository
continues to provide researchers with essential materials for studying
the role genetic variation plays in human disease."

Genetic factors appear to contribute to virtually every human disease.
But in most cases it is combinations of genes and environmental
influences that cause illness, and researchers do not yet understand
most of the combinations of factors. The HGCR plays an important role in
advancing this knowledge by establishing specialized collections of DNA
and cell cultures and making them available to the research community
for a modest fee.

Within the repository are thousands of cell lines from people with
genetic abnormalities as well as from unaffected family members. For the
many genetic disorders represented, a large number of the cell lines
have been characterized at the molecular level. This fine level of
detail helps researchers understand how slight genetic differences can
lead to very different forms and severities of a disease. The HGCR also
houses extensive panels of cell lines and DNA representing nearly all
the variations of certain disease genes such as the BRCA1 breast and
ovarian cancer gene and the cystic fibrosis gene. Researchers have
successfully used HGCR cell lines harboring defects in individual
chromosomes to pinpoint the locations of disease genes within the human
genome and to search for new genes, enabling further studies of many
health conditions.

While humans share 99.9 percent of their DNA sequence, within the 0.1
percent that is different lies important information about disease risks
and individual responses to medications. To help researchers find this
information, the HGCR contains samples from the HapMap consortium, a
global partnership of scientists and funding agencies whose goal is to
catalog genetic variation among all humans, as well as from the Centre
d'Etude du Polymorphisme Humain (CEPH) family resource. This latter
collection contains DNA samples and cell lines from a well-characterized
group of families including grandparents, parents, and children.
Scientists use the popular CEPH collection to clarify the roles of

genes in health and disease.

Because genetic studies can raise concerns about donor privacy, samples
deposited in the repository are stripped of individual identifying
information and they may not be used for commercial purposes. To address
the possible implications of genetic studies for the larger populations
to which individual donors belong, the HGCR requires that researchers
consult in advance with the communities from which they propose to
collect samples and make plans for ongoing consultation with those
communities.

"In addition to maintaining a very high level of scientific quality, the
NIGMS Human Genetic Cell Repository has stayed well ahead of the curve
on the important issue of protecting the privacy of individuals and the
interests of communities," said Judith H. Greenberg, Ph.D., director of
the NIGMS Division of Genetics and Developmental Biology and project
officer on the repository contract. "Individuals, communities and
scientists are partners in the research process, and policies like those
established by the repository help advance genetic research while
maintaining high ethical standards."

The repository Web site, <http://locus.umdnj.edu/nigms>, lists available
cell lines and DNA collections, along with detailed background
information on their characteristics.

NIGMS is one of the 27 components of NIH, the premier federal agency for
biomedical research. The NIGMS mission is to support basic biomedical
research that lays the foundation for advances in disease diagnosis,
treatment and prevention. More information about the HGCR can be found
at <http://www.nigms.nih.gov/about_nigms/repository.html>.

##

This NIH News Release is available online at:
http://www.nih.gov/news/pr/dec2004/nigms-14.htm

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