The NICHD Brain and Tissue Bank for Developmental Disorders is in contract to the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. We are located at the University of Maryland School of Medicine - Department of Pediatrics in Baltimore, Maryland.
The mission of the NICHD BTB is to advance the research of developmental disorders. The objective of this human tissue repository is to systematically collect, store, and distribute brain and other tissues for research dedicated to the improved understanding, care and treatment of individuals with developmental disorders.
Our Family web site is a separate web site dedicated to our tissue donors and their families. A registry of donors has also been established.
The recipient of tissue and the NICHD BTB are required to sign a Material Transfer Agreement before any tissues are transferred. All requests for tissue are to be submitted on-line.
The NICHD BTB has extensive experience in arranging for the rapid retrieval of tissue upon the death of individuals while at home, in hospitals or hospice care. The Bank is able to assist researchers who are working with patients who intend to donate tissues at the time of their death.
Meetings and Outreach
The Bank is very active in maintaining an ever growing and vital dialog with medical researchers, health care professionals, support groups, families and individuals. Scientific meetings and meetings of support groups are especially important to us. Learn more!
QUOTES IN THE NEWS
H. Ronald Zielke, Ph.D., Director of the NICHD Brain and Tissue Bank for Developmental Disorders, was recently quoted in several news publications.
- Brains Thaw At Harvard Repository
- Brain Banks for Autism Face Dearth
- Autism: Banking on New Brain Donors
NICHD BTB WORKSHOP
The NICHD Brain and Tissue Bank sponsored a Research Workshop July 16-17, 2012 in Rockville, MD entitled: “Contributions of Post-Mortem Tissue to the Study of Developmental Disorders – 20th Anniversary of the NICHD Brain and Tissue Bank for Developmental Disorders”
Researchers presented data on the rapidly changing gene expression during the first few years of life, on multiple studies on the Autism Spectrum Disorders, and additional studies on Down Syndrome, mitochondrial disorders, X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy, and hereditary DNA repair disorders. More information is provided at the links below:
Breakthrough Science
The laboratories of Anne Comi and Jonathan Pevsner have identified a somatic mutation resulting in Sturge-Weber Syndrome using tissue donated by families with this disorder to the NICHD BTB.
"Sturge–Weber Syndrome and Port-Wine Stains Caused by Somatic Mutation in GNAQ" Shirley et al., N. Eng. J. Med. 2013, DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa1213507
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