National Disease Research Interchange
The National Disease Research Interchange (NDRI) provides human biospecimens worldwide to advance biomedical and bioscience research, partnering with academic researchers and corporate investigators to deliver high-quality human tissues from a diverse pool of donors.
Services
The National Disease Research Interchange (NDRI) provides human biospecimens globally to aid biomedical and bioscience research and development. Their services include distribution of high-quality human tissues to academic researchers and corporate investigators. Utilizing a prospective procurement model and project-specific collection protocols, NDRI caters to the experimental needs of numerous projects. The organization operates a 24/7/365 call center, ensuring a constant and responsive availability for requests and biospecimen distribution.
History
NDRI has more than 40 years of experience in supplying human organs and tissues from a diverse pool of normal and diseased donors. Over the years, their biorepository facility has earned accreditation from the College of American Pathologists (CAP). Their continuous funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for nearly 35 years underscores their reliability and contribution to the research community. NDRI's initiatives, such as the HTORR Program, have significantly contributed to advancing biomedical research.
NIH-Supported Programs
NDRI is involved in several NIH-supported programs including the Human Tissue and Organs for Research Resource (HTORR) Program, the Somatic Mosaicism Across Human Tissues (SMaHT) Network, and the Developmental Genotype-Tissue Expression (dGTEx) project. The HTORR Program, continuously funded for almost 35 years, provides human tissues and organs and aids in research across multiple disciplines. The SMaHT Network, an NIH Common Fund program, aims to understand genetic variation in cells and tissues. The dGTEx project focuses on establishing gene expression profiles from neonatal to adolescent tissues.
Collaborations and Partnerships
NDRI collaborates with various nationwide organ and tissue donation programs to secure human biospecimens from a diverse pool of donors. They partner with academic researchers and corporate investigators, providing a broad spectrum of human tissues to support numerous research projects. The organization’s partnerships extend to multiple NIH institutes, including the National Eye Institute (NEI), National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), and National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), enhancing their contributions to the scientific community.
Research Contributions and Impact
NDRI is cited in around 150 scientific publications annually, showcasing their substantial impact on research. They support an estimated 1,000 investigator protocols at any given time. The Pilot Award Program, a segment of the HTORR Program, provides up to 10 biological samples per awarded investigator, fostering research among underrepresented populations and early-stage investigators. The private donor program also plays a pivotal role by allowing individuals and families to contribute to ongoing research through tissue and organ donation.