Why Support Research?
Researchers investigating a wide range of blinding eye diseases and disorders rely on donated human eyes and eye tissues for their research. Progress in treating cataracts, macular degeneration, glaucoma, and diabetic retinopathy and other eye disorders hinges on access to both normal and diseased human eyes or eye tissues. But these donated organs and tissues are often in short supply.
The eye bank is in a unique position to further such research, which may ultimately benefit the lives of millions. Many eye donors with corneas not suitable for transplant can still donate whole eyes or eye tissues for research, giving patients and families the opportunity to contribute to the fight against blindness. Most eye tissues valuable to research can also be recovered without interfering with the regular recovery process for corneas that are transplanted.
Why Eye Banks Partner with NDRI?
NDRI’s experience in providing anatomical gifts for research is unmatched. Many eye banks work exclusively with NDRI to manage their research programs. In deciding who to partner with for your research program, please consider the following.
Extensive nationwide research network - Since 1980, NDRI has provided more than 200,000 human organs, eyes and tissues to researchers at top universities, hospitals and medical research centers in the United States. Between 2002 and 2005, NDRI supplied more than 12,000 tissues to eye research programs, half of which were funded by the National Eye Institute.
Integrity of research assured - Requests by researchers are reviewed and approved by NDRI’s staff and scientific advisory committee, which is comprised of eminent physicians, researchers and ethicists. All researchers must be affiliated with a university or research institute and cannot share specimens with investigators not affiliated with NDRI.
- Federal government oversight - NDRI is the only organization providing anatomical gifts for research that receives major funding and oversight from federal agencies, such as the National Institutes of Health.
- Quick and easy retrieval - NDRI staff respond quickly, 24 hours a day. Our streamlined retrieval procedures and experience with federal regulations concerning privacy, informed consent and handling of biomaterials make recovery of research tissue easy and efficient.
- Timely feedback - NDRI promptly reports how eye tissues are used so that you can share the information with families.
The Referral and Recovery Process
Many researchers need donated eye tissues within hours of death, so it is essential that the recovery process be coordinated as efficiently as possible. This process involves:
- Obtaining informed research consent from the donor's family;
- Conducting serology testing on the donor;
- Contacting NDRI;
- Recovering eye tissue, and;
- Shipping eye tissue
Read here formore detailed information on the Referral and Recovery Process
Current Eye Tissue Research Needs
Follow the links below to learn more about eye tissue-specific research needs and protocols:
To learn more about becoming a NDRI research partner please contact us at 800-222-6374.