HOUSTON, TX (December 8, 2021) – The Texas Heart Institute Biorepository is proud to announce its third reaccreditation by the College of American Pathologists. As a result, it remains one of the few CAP-accredited biorepository in the state of Texas. As part of the Regenerative Medicine Research department, the THI Biorepository is a facility for the collection, processing, storage, and distribution of biological samples (such as blood, blood-component, and tissue samples) used in research. The Biorepository’s services are used by Clinical Trial Networks and individual investigators from THI and throughout the US and Canada.

“Our staff undergoes rigorous training in Human Subjects Research, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) regulations, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Bloodborne Pathogen Standards, OSHA Hazard Communication Standards, Hazardous Research Materials/Carcinogen Protocol, Hazardous Waste Disposal, Biohazard Waste Disposal, US Department of Transportation Hazardous Materials Regulations, and International Air Transport Association (IATA) guidelines for shipping,” according to Camila Hochman-Mendez, PhD, Director of the Regenerative Medicine Research Department and the THI Biorepository & Biospecimen Profiling Core.

Under her supervision, the THI Biorepository has consistently maintained its CAP accreditation and successfully served as a Biorepository Core Facility for the NIH NHLBI Cardiovascular Cell Therapy Research Network (CCTRN) and the Cardiothoracic Surgical Trials Network (CTSN), national organizations of clinicians and researchers collaborating to develop stem cell-based therapies to treat heart disease. The THI Biorepository is an important part of the infrastructure that the Networks provide to researchers around the country who are working to improve the treatment of cardiovascular disease.

The THI Biorepository is conveniently located in the heart of the Texas Medical Center. The College of American Pathologists accreditation signals that the lab is GLP-compliant and equipped to convert to good manufacturing practices (GMP) regulations, if required. The staff also use automated assays to minimize human manipulation of samples.

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About the Biorepository and Biospecimen Profiling Core Laboratory

The Texas Heart Institute (THI) Biorepository and Biospecimen Profiling Core is a biorepository for tissue, blood, plasma, serum, nucleic acids, and other biological materials, and a research core laboratory dedicated to providing storage, blood processing, and biomarker profiling services to investigators and institutions. It has been a College of American Pathologists (CAP)-accredited biorepository since 2015. The state-of-the-art, biosafety level 2 (BSL2) facility houses secure and 24-hour-monitored freezers and a separate laboratory for processing and analysis, with a dedicated cell-profiling room. The highly trained staff and on-site, full-time Quality & Compliance Specialist provide cost-efficient, customizable research support, and laboratory services to meet the needs of investigator-initiated studies, large clinical trials, and industry research using biospecimens.

About The Texas Heart Institute (THI)

Texas Heart Institute (THI), founded by world-renowned cardiovascular surgeon Dr. Denton A. Cooley in 1962, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to delivering the future of cardiovascular health through exceptional patient care, discovery, and a commitment to learning. Participating in research programs in cardiology, cardiovascular surgery, stem cell and gene therapy, and regenerative medicine, THI’s scientists and physicians are spearheading some of the most innovative research in the medical field. Through its translational basic and clinical research programs, Texas Heart Institute is learning more every day about the underlying causes of heart disease and the ways to better treat and even prevent it. With initiatives ranging from postdoctoral and continued medical education to public outreach and scientific publications, THI is dedicated to spreading awareness and sharing updates on ways to prevent, treat and defeat cardiovascular disease. With over 12 million visitors coming to its website from around the world every year, www.texasheart.org is just one of the ways THI is helping to educate people on the importance of heart health.