The Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics
at Indiana University established the world’s first
DNA bank in 1984. The DNA Bank was created so that individuals
and families could store DNA samples that may be needed
for future genetic testing. The purpose of the DNA bank
is to store DNA for future family use. For example, if
a family member at risk for developing Huntington disease
dies before being gene tested or before disease symptoms
appear, the banked DNA of the deceased member can be gene
tested in the future by surviving family members. The
bank is often utilized by individuals who may not want
to be gene tested, but would like to have a DNA sample
available for their children if needed in future testing.
The most common source of DNA donated for banking is from
a blood sample. If the individual is deceased and blood
is not available, tissue from the brain, skin, liver,
and spleen can also be banked. Samples are frozen for
long-term storage. However, in some cases of extended
long-term storage, it may not be possible to use the DNA
from a particular sample due to degradation (break-down)
of the stored DNA over time.
The cost to store a sample is $70.00. For more information,
call the Roster at 1.866.818.0213 or email us at hdroster@iupui.edu.
|
