Mayo Clinic Brain Bank
Neuroscientists at Mayo Clinic's campus in Florida are leaders in the discovery of new genes, biomarkers and therapeutic targets for brain diseases. Thanks to exceptional resources, including a brain bank for neurodegenerative disorders housed within the Neuropathology and Microscopy Laboratory of Dennis W. Dickson, M.D., the Robert E. Jacoby Professor of Alzheimer's Research and a member of the Department of Neuroscience, Mayo investigators continue to shed new light on the underlying causes of Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), frontotemporal dementia and stroke.
Dr. Dickson stands as a pillar in this endeavor as director of Mayo Clinic Brain Bank. He has served as president of the American Association of Neuropathologists and has been honored with the Potamkin Prize. Co-director Melissa E. Murray, Ph.D., professor of neuroscience, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, and director of the Translational Neuropathology Laboratory, provides support as a leading expert in digital pathology and brain banking modernization efforts. They direct the brain bank with the assistance of a dedicated staff of brain bank coordinators, neurohistology technical staff and professional support staff. The brain bank, which continues to grow, currently holds more than 10,000 brains from patient donors. These brains are shared with qualified investigators within Mayo Clinic and at academic medical centers globally.
The brain bank provides well-characterized brain samples from donors with neurodegenerative disorders, cerebrovascular diseases and unaffected controls to researchers striving to learn more about the neuropathology, genomics, biochemistry and molecular etiology of complex neurological conditions. Through systematic and standardized diagnostic evaluations of fixed and frozen brain samples obtained at autopsy, clinicians and next of kin receive formal written reports. These samples, both fixed and frozen, fuel various research endeavors, encompassing neurohistology, immunohistochemistry, confocal microscopy, electron microscopy and image analysis, as well as biochemical, genomics and molecular biological studies.
With a repository spanning more than 5,000 cases of Alzheimer's disease, 2,000 cases of Lewy body disease, nearly 2,000 cases of tauopathies (including progressive supranuclear palsy and corticobasal degeneration), and a growing collection of frontotemporal lobar degeneration and ALS cases, Mayo Clinic Brain Bank accommodates a wealth of diverse research inquiries. While less common, tissues from patients with genetic causes of Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, frontotemporal dementia and ALS also are shared with research investigators.
The Neuropathology and Microscopy Laboratory serves another crucial role in supporting histologic studies of mouse models of neurologic diseases developed by Mayo Clinic's research scientists. Also, it houses an electron microscopy facility, offering support for research endeavors analyzing the ultrastructure of cells in human tissues and preclinical models.