TISSUE, DNA AND CELLS FROM NEUROMUSCULAR DISEASES

We keep a biological bank of muscle tissue, DNA and muscle cells derived from patients with neuromuscular diseases who undergo muscle biopsy at our Division for diagnostic purposes. We have received Telethon support in the past years and thanks to that we have further enlarged our capacity to store new muscle biopsies and to establish new cell lines. Actually we have increased the cell collection to more than 500 cell lines, the tissue collection to more than 6000 specimens and the DNA to about 1000 samples. Our main efforts have been to ensure that the material is appropriately prepared and conserved, that the clinical and genetic data related to the material are complete and remain confidential and protected from unwanted access, that privacy of the patients is respected. We have distributed some of the material stored in our facility, mainly muscle cells, to scientists for research and diagnostic purposes. Our main aim is to facilitate research and discovery by providing high quality human biological material and accurate clinical and genetic information to the scientific community. We feel that we will increase the efficacy of the bank as a resource for research in muscle diseases by continuing in the future to improve the quality and the security of our material and data, to comply with the ethical standards and to increase the awareness. in the public and in the scientific community, of the importance of biological bank facilities.