Transplant Center
Biorepository

The Emory Transplant Center Biorepository for Translational Science (ETC Biorepository) was established in February 2008 through the generous funding of the Georgia Research Alliance. The ETC Biorepository contributes to the improvement of transplant outcomes by supporting Emory researchers in their basic, translational, and clinical research studies. As one of the only transplant-based biorepositories in the U.S., the ETC Biorepository represents one of the largest collections of longitudinal samples from patients receiving transplant services.

In general, a biorepository is a facility that collects, catalogs, and stores samples of biological material. These samples may include urine, blood, tissue, cells, DNA, RNA, and/or protein. If the samples are from patients, medical information also may be stored. This allows researchers to better understand the meaningful differences (biological phenotypes) between different patients, tissues, and diseases with the goal of improving transplantation outcomes.

The ETC Biorepository collects, processes, and distributes patient samples. The ETC Biorepository functions on a 24-hour/7-day per week basis and serves as a collection point for biological samples from patients receiving transplant services through Emory. At this time, more than 1,200 patients have consented to participate in the ETC Biorepository and more than 80,000 samples are available for research purposes. Services offered by the ETC Biorepository include:

• Immune monitoring protocols available to patients receiving transplant services
• Cataloged collection of patient-specific samples over time
• Central collection of samples from lung, liver, kidney, pancreas, islet cell, and multiple tissue transplants available to researchers

Researchers may access ETC Biorepository samples to help further studies designed to improve transplantation outcomes. Current projects supported by the ETC Biorepository include:

• Immune Monitoring and Assay Development in Organ Transplant Recipients
• Immunosuppression Withdrawal for Stable Pediatric Liver Transplant Recipients
• Belatacept Post-Depletional Study
• Clinical Trials in Organ Transplantation (CTOT)
• Clinical Trials in Organ Transplantation in Children (CTOTC)
• Clinical Islet Transplantation (CIT)
• Solid Organ Transplantation in HIV
• Identification and Mechanistic Investigations of Tolerant Kidney Transplant Patients
• Safety and Efficacy of LEA29Y, Daclizumab, and Sirolimus in Recipients of non-HLA-Living-Donor Renal Transplants