Harvard NeuroDiscovery Center Biomarker Study
The Harvard NeuroDiscovery Center Biomarker Study aims to discover and validate biomarkers for neurodegenerative diseases.
Recent progress reported by Harvard NeuroDiscovery Center members and many others suggests that Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease provide particularly promising targets for biomarker discovery. The first phase of this new program is the development of a major new sample repository that will be accessible to investigators wishing to identify or validate biomarkers for AD or PD. Patient and control samples are being collected according to vigorously defined protocols designed to minimize inter-sample noise.
The second phase of the program, to identify and to confirm proposed biomarkers, will be launched as soon as the repository reaches a critical size (currently estimated as March/April 2009).
The Harvard NeuroDiscovery Center Biomarker Study is a collaborative effort involving the Memory Disorders Units and Movement Disorders Units based within Brigham & Women's Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital.
Patients that meet our selection criteria are invited to donate blood that is used to generate DNA, RNA, serum, plasma and cell lines. Clinical details (stored anonymously) are available for each patient. To investigate disease course and longitudinal aspects of prospective biomarkers, each patient (and control subject) will provide a second blood sample after one year and a final blood sample at two years.
Colleagues within the broader Harvard community are invited to submit proposals that take advantage for this growing repository. Details of the growing repository, the samples that are available, clinical parameters captured and the procedure for requesting access to the repository are provided below.
Progress
As of February 2009 we have enrolled more than 800 subjects. Enrollment continues at a steady pace of 40-50 subjects per month.
Sample Processing/Storage
Blood samples from biomarker participants are transported at room temperature to the Scherzer laboratory for processing within 4 hours of blood draw, centrifuged and aliquotted into plasma, packed red blood cells, buffy coat and serum and stored at -80°. Samples collected in PAXgene tubes are transferred at room temperature to the Scherzer laboratory and placed at -4° within 4 hours of the blood draw. RNA is processed within 3-5 days by the biospecimen manager using the PreAnalytix protocol. One tube is sent to the Gusella laboratory at for cell line transformation and storage.
Clinical Data
Clinical data collected includes physician exam measuring disease activity and severity. Additional data is collected through study staff interview and self-administered questionnaires and includes medical history, medication use, risk factor data, family history of neurologic diseases, co-morbidities, smoking history and caffeine intake. Also included are standardized scales measuring quality of life, depression and physical functioning.
Access
Samples and clinical data will be made available to approved investigators within the Harvard NeuroDiscovery Center research community. To begin the process, a letter of intent outlining the hypothesis being proposed, its significance, the reason for proposing use of specimens and required covariate data should be sent to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it , Senior Project Manager, Harvard NeuroDiscovery Center Biomarkers Study. Letters of intent can be submitted at any time throughout the year.
Support
The Biomarker Discovery Program is funded by the generosity of visionary individual philanthropists and foundations.
The Biomarker Discovery Program launched in October 2007.