The National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) recently celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Human Genetic Cell Repository (HGCR), housed at the Coriell Institute, in its Biomedical Beat blog where writers shine a light on scientists and research backed by NIGMS.
This repository was founded 1972 as a collaboration between Coriell and NIGMS and, in the following five decades, has grown into an invaluable resource for genetic scientists around the world. The repository has expanded from dozens of samples advertised in a printed and mailed catalog to an online database of more than 10,000 cell lines, including dozens of lines of induced pluripotent cells.
One important subset in the HGCR is its collection of biological samples derived from blood or skin donated from families affected by genetic diseases. Representing more than 1,000 of these rare, heritable diseases, these samples offer researchers new opportunities to study these diseases and develop new treatments.
“We are a bridge between the patient advocacy communities and the researchers who are studying the diseases that affect these communities,” said Matthew W. Mitchell, Ph.D., Co-Principal Investigator of the HGCR, in the story. “The mission of the NIGMS HGCR is to enable as much impactful research as possible and get as many important samples into the hands of as many well-qualified researchers as possible.”
Read the full story on the NIGMS Biomedical Beat blog.
