Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get started?
Projects get started by contacting the Core Laboratory via email: cvcregenerationcore@gmail.com or visit our Contact Us page for more information.
How do I transfer patient samples to the Core Laboratory?
Skin biopsies are collected in MCRU at the University Hospital and our laboratory personnel can retrieve the sample from MCRU for transfer to our lab. The investigator is responsible for coordinating with patients and the MCRU for scheduling biopsy or blood draw appointment. Once we receive the sample (with IRB approval numbers) we will get started to generate your patients' iPSCs.
Can I get help with the IRB application?
The Core Laboratory has worked with other investigators to obtain IRB approval for iPSC projects, we can help with the information and project workflow required to fill the application.
Will the Core Laboratory preserve patient samples so that re-sampling is not required?
We will cryobank cells of various type for each project. Expanded somatic cells (skin fibroblasts, or peripheral mononucleated blood cells) will be banked as well as early passage iPSCs and differentiated cells. There is a fee for cryobanking to cover the costs of equipment and liquid nitrogen.
What are the fees for using the core?
We have worked with the office of finance to determine fees to cover the cost of core services. Internally these fees cover the cost of operating the core. For external users there will be additional overhead costs according to policies of the University of Michigan.
Does the CRCL offer training?
Yes, we offer training for your laboratory personnel. At the conclusion of training you will receive a certificate of completion and be ready for independent work using iPSCs in your own laboratory.
What if the reprogramming does not work the first time?
On rare occasions the reprogramming may not work. In this case we will repeat reprogramming of the same fibroblasts assuming the proliferation rate of the fibroblasts is acceptable.
What stage of the Drug Discovery process does your phenotyping/cardiotoxicity platform fit?
Any stage can benefit from pro-arrhythmia/cardiotoxicity screening. The best time to use our service is early in the development phase. The conventional wisdom is that a compound should fail early to avoid waste of development funds and resources. If your compound has cardiac effects we can detect this early using human cardiomyocytes in a high throughput screen.
Can the effect of drug therapies be tested for chronic effects as well as acute?
Yes, we can incubate hiPSC-CMs and 3D micro-tissues for long term experiments. We can tailor the assay to your needs.
Chemotherapy can cause cardiotoxicity, does your platform inform on this aspect?
Yes, we have tested the effect of anthracyclines on 2D monolayers and 3D micro-tissues and have found the clinically expected effect. We can work with patient specific cells to determine risk for oncology related cardiotoxicity.
Contact Us
Email us today at cvcregenerationcore@gmail.com to get started on your patient-specific research projects or visit our Contact Us page for more information.