Research and Funding

Scientific Resources

Biological Resources

Data/Informatics Resources

 

Biological Resources

Rodent Resources

NIA maintains colonies of aged rats and mice for use by the scientific community for research directly related to aging and age-related diseases. The animals are housed behind specific pathogen-free barriers and monitored for genetic purity and health status, and a health report accompanies each shipment of animals. In addition, NIA supports a tissue bank of flash frozen tissues from mice and rats from the aged rodent colonies and tissue arrays containing punches of multiple ages and multiple tissues per slide. Please note that there are restrictions on eligibility to use the NIA aged rodent colonies.

Nonhuman Primates

NIA maintains approximately 150 nonhuman primates (Macaca mulatta) at four regional primate centers for conducting research on aging. These animals range in age from 18 to 35 years. These rhesus monkeys are currently only approved for noninvasive research. The NIA Biological Resources Branch (BRB) has developed a compendium of nonhuman primate resource availability for aging research. Contact the BRB for a copy.

The Nonhuman Primate Tissue Bank provides a source of archived tissue from aged nonhuman primates, primarily rhesus monkeys. The tissue is donated by primate centers and universities with primate colonies and is available as frozen tissue chunks, slides of fixed tissue sections, and OTC-embedded frozen tissues.

The NIA provides partial support for the Obesity, Diabetes and Aging Animal Resources (ODAAR) at the University of South Florida, which includes a data repository, a biospecimen repository, and a colony of rhesus monkeys available for collaborative studies. Contact Dr. Barbara Hansen for information (bhansen@health.usf.edu; 727-767-6993).

The NIA supports the Primate Aging Database (PAD), a searchable database that contains basic health and husbandry data from primates across the lifespan and from numerous research institutions. PAD, hosted by the Wisconsin National Primate Center, is a password-secured site. For information, go to http://ipad.primate.wisc.edu.

Comparative Biology of Aging Resource Sharing Network

This webpage describes a network of NIA grantees willing to share resources that support comparative biology of aging studies.

Database for Sharing Aging Research Models (D-SARM)

The Database for Sharing Aging Research Models (D-SARM) (http://dsarm.niapublications.org/ ) provides a venue for investigators to share information about animal models for which they are willing to share data, tissues and/or animals. The goal is to facilitate collaborations and sharing or research resources between laboratories

Interventions Testing Program (ITP)

NIA supports a multi-institutional study investigating diets and dietary supplements purported to extend lifespan and delay disease and dysfunction. ITP allows investigators to submit proposals for interventions to be tested for their ability to decelerate aging and extend lifespan in mice.

Human Biospecimen Collections

NIA supports studies of human aging that have collections of biospecimens available for sharing. The Virtual Repository is a Web site that provides a central portal to these studies, with introductory information on participating studies.

Caenorhabditis elegans Genetic Stock

NIA also provides partial support for the C. elegans Genetic Center, located at the University of Minnesota. This stock center contains more than 1,000 strains of C. elegans, many of which are useful in studying aging.

Cell Repository

To facilitate aging research on cells in culture, the NIA provides support for the NIA Aging Cell Repository, located at the Coriell Institute for Medical Research in Camden, NJ. Included are skin fibroblast cultures from individuals with premature aging syndromes, including Werner and Hutchinson-Guilford (progeria), cultures from clinically documented and at-risk individuals from families exhibiting familial Alzheimer's disease, differentiated cell lines, and cell lines from animals. The repository also has DNA from many of the cell lines, available individually or in panels such as the Primate DNA panel, Aging Syndrome DNA panel, Characterized Alzheimer's disease mutation DNA panel, Early and Late Onset Alzheimer's disease DNA panels, and Aged Sib Pairs DNA panel.

Data/Informatics Resources

Clinical Research Study Investigator's Toolbox

The NIA Clinical Research Study Investigators Toolbox provides a Web-based information repository for investigators and staff involved in clinical research. The Toolbox contains templates, sample forms, guidelines, regulations and information materials to assist investigators in the development and conduct of high quality clinical research studies.

Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS)

The Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) is an NIH-funded initiative to develop and validate patient reported outcomes (PROs) for clinical research and practice. PROMIS aims to enhance and standardize measurement of several selected PROs through both computer adaptive testing and traditional "paper and pencil" instruments.

PROMIS was established in 2004 as a cooperative network that developed and validated PROs in global health, physical function, fatigue, pain, sleep/wake function, emotional distress, and social health. Currently, the PROMIS network consists of 12 research sites and 3 administrative centers that are developing PROs in several new domains and performing validation studies of PROs in new and existing domains.

PROMIS is one of several initiatives under the NIH Roadmap. Researchers and clinicians are encouraged to consider using PROMIS tools in their studies or practices. More information about PROMIS, including item banks, PRO instrument forms, and Assessment Center™, is available at www.nihpromis.org.

NIA-relevant questions about PROMIS may be directed to:

Basil Eldadah, MD, PhD
Phone: (301) 496-6761
Email: eldadahb@nia.nih.gov

NIA Population Studies Database

A searchable database for epidemiologic research on aging changes across the lifespan.

Division of Behavioral and Social Research Databases and Links