At least 80 diseases are now under investigation by the Interchange's patrons. Ophthalmology researcher Peter Gouras of Columbia University says that if researchers "want human tissues, this is an excellent organization to work with. They aren't expensive, and they are very helpful." Based in Philadelphia, NDRI perfunctorily reviews applications to check that the research is appropriate, says Ducat. Only one applicant has ever been turned away, and that was because the request was technically impossible to meet. NDRI will work with scientists to develop protocols for preserving and handling the desired tissue. For application information, call (800) 222-6374.
Private Institute Briefs
At a time when the supply of live animals for research use has become unreliable, expensive, and controversial, a Philadelphia organization is providing experimenters with a convenient alternative: human tissue. The National Disease Research Interchange, founded by Lee Ducat and funded in part by NIH grants, links scientists into a nationwide network of organ banks and hospitals whose excess surgical, transplant, and autopsy material would otherwise go to waste. In business for the past decade,
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