Islet Cell Distribution Coordinating Center

Beckman Research Institute/City Of Hope, Duarte CA

Investigators

Abstract

The objective of this contract is to establish a coordinating center that provides for the distribution of human cadaveric islets for laboratory research. The NIH funding mechanism that currently supports this activity terminated on 07/31/2009 and this contract will provide a successor mechanism to assure continued islet availability to the medical research community. The procurement will support a single coordinating center that subcontracts to qualified islet isolation facilities to prepare and distribute human islets. The coordinating center will maintain a roster of investigators approved to receive islets and will assume responsibility to notify investigators and distribute islets when they are available. Contract funds will provide partial cost recovery to islet isolation facilities for islets distributed and investigators will have cost sharing charges for the islets received. The coordinating center will develop and maintain a financial system that both collects and disburses respective receivables and expenditures. Guidance for directing the coordinating center activities will come from the Project Officer and the External Evaluation Committee as described below. The coordinating center will serve as a research tool for the medical community by providing investigators with access to human islets and the availability of these precious resources will ultimately enhance knowledge of islet cell biology.