Harvard NeuroDiscovery Center Biomarker Study
The Harvard NeuroDiscovery Center Biomarker Study (HBS) aims to discover and validate biomarkers for neurodegenerative diseases. Launched in October 2007, it is a collaborative effort between the Memory Disorder Units and Movement Disorder Units based within Brigham & Women's Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital.
The lack of biological markers is a critical roadblock in the development of disease-modifying therapeutics for Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease. HBS is a biomarker incubator designed to overcome this roadblock.
HBS is a Harvard-wide, longitudinal, case-control study of 2,000 individuals with early-stage PD, MCI/AD, and controls without neurologic disease. High-quality biosamples and high-resolution clinical phenotypes are tracked at three visits over a two-year period. To minimize bias controls are enrolled from the source population, case and control samples are processed in parallel and quality-controlled. Hematological variables and processing steps are monitored. Biospecimens tracked include plasma, serum, RNA, and whole blood, as well as DNA and immortalized cell lines, and ultimately, brain autopsy. Cerebrospinal fluid is longitudinally collected in a subset.
Colleagues within the broader Harvard community and beyond are invited to submit proposals to test candidate biomarkers in HBS. Details of the growing biobank, biospecimen availability, clinical parameters are captured, and the procedure for requesting access to the repository are provided below.
Progress
As of January 31, 2012, we have enrolled 1829 subjects in the study. Enrollment continues at a steady pace of 20-30 subjects per month. More than 30,000 biological samples have been processed, quality-controlled, bar-coded and stored.
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 may be made available to approved investigators within the Harvard NeuroDiscovery Center research community and beyond. 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, and information on assay performance, 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 Biomarker 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.