Tissue samples hub for studying genetic differences across all human tissues
Official title: Tissue Procurement Center (TPC) Supporting the Somatic Mosaicism across Human Tissues (SMaHT) Network
Funded at National Disease Research Interchange · NIH-11359734 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A national network will create a public resource of tissue samples and data to map genetic variation that occurs after conception across different body tissues.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | National Disease Research Interchange NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Philadelphia, United States) |
| Project start | May 1, 2023 |
| Project end | April 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $5,528,485 |
| NIH project number | 4U24TR005126-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11359734 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Any person who donates tissue for research or whose tissue might be studied in the network could contribute, subject to consent and ethical approvals.
✕Less likely to help
Individuals who do not participate in tissue donation or whose data are not used in the study may not directly benefit.
What this research studies
This project will build a public compendium of tissue samples from the same individuals across different body layers to study somatic mosaicism. It includes centers for discovering somatic variants, analyzing data, and developing new tools, plus an ethical and social implications study about tissue donation. A Tissue Procurement Center will collect high-quality samples to fuel research, with collaboration among experienced pathology, biobanking, and imaging teams. The goal is to empower researchers to understand how genetic differences arise in healthy tissues and what that means for health and disease.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients could benefit from faster discovery of tissue-specific disease mechanisms and better resources for personalized medicine.
How similar studies have gone: This is a foundational resource project; similar networks have advanced understanding of mosaicism and tissue genetics in specific contexts, but this project aims to create a comprehensive cross-tissue resource.
Where this research is happening
-
National Disease Research Interchange
Philadelphia, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Bell, Thomas J — National Disease Research Interchange
- Study coordinator: Bell, Thomas J
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.