The Alpha-1 DNA & Tissue Bank was established in 2000 by the Alpha-1 Foundation. The Bank is funded by a grant from Fundación Leopoldo Fernández Pujals as part of a matching grant initiative with the State of Florida. The Bank is housed at the University of Florida College of Medicine in Gainesville. The Bank is a repository specifically for DNA and tissue from AAT Deficient patients and serves the international scientific community. Currently, the Bank has the largest collection of Alpha-1 DNA in the world for Alpha-1 research studies.

The University of Florida Institutional Review Board has approved the acquisition of DNA for the Bank. Over seven hundred samples of DNA have already been collected. Institutional approval of tissue acquisition activities associated with the bank are underway, which includes establishing collaborations with other transplant centers in the U.S. to obtain tissues from AAT Deficient individuals. The Alpha-1 Foundation has established a Tissue Bank Advisory Committee which includes wide representation of physicians, ethicists, attorneys, consumers as well as international experts in tissue banking.

For more information on the DNA & Tissue Bank, please see Frequently Asked Questions or view this short powerpoint presentation.

To participate in the DNA & Tissue Bank please either click here to submit your request electronically or call toll-free 1-800-559-5706.