About the SCVI Biobank

In 2014, the Stanford Cardiovascular Institute (SCVI) Biobank. The SCVI is the nucleus for cardiovascular research at Stanford University and is home to Stanford's myriad of cardiovascular-related adult and pediatric research, clinical and educational programs, centers, and laboratories, working with over 500 affiliated Stanford basic scientists, graduate students, clinician scientists and other researchers in heart and vessel disease and prevention.

Since its foundation, SCVI Biobank staff gained valuable technical and operational expertise in iPSC reprogramming, culturing, and resource management. Additionally, our staff streamlines and optimizes protocols while reducing per-line cost. The SCVI Biobank continues to compile a biorepository of patient specific, de-identified human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) lines and distribute these lines to the scientific community. SCVI Biobank iPSC lines cover a broad spectrum of cardiac diseases, healthy controls, and non-cardiac disease controls.

For this project, participants consent to a simple blood draw, after which we isolate the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and reprogram to iPSCs. We use current, non-integrating techniques to reprogram new patient lines. Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) analysis is used to match iPSC lines to the original patient cells and provide karyotype information about each line. Pluripotency and tri-lineage differentiation are confirmed using the TaqMan® hPSC Scorecard™ Assay. 

In addition to Stanford patients, we recruit patients from external institutions. These patients sign the Stanford consent form, after which their blood can be collected and spun down at your institution and shipped to the SCVI Biobank. We will confirm the consents, reprogram the cells and ship the iPSC lines back to you after validation. For detailed information and requirements for including your patients in the SCVI Biobank please see the Forms tab.

The SCVI Biobank is fully operational and enjoys the support of outstanding facilities on Stanford University campus. Stanford University ranks among the top research institutes in the US in NIH research funding, total research output, and provides an unparalleled research environment with committed resources to promote long-term, multi-disciplinary, and sustainable initiatives. Aside from the numerous core facilities that are all available a highly collaborative atmosphere exists to provide aid to all investigators and staff.

Vulnerable populations have an unequal burden in cardiovascular diseases due to both genetic and socioeconomic factors but continue to be under-represented in biomedical research. Substantial numbers of unknown disease-causing variants as well as modifier variants likely lurk in the genetic background of the global population and may present opportunities for the next breakthrough in combating disease progression. The SCVI Biobank has placed a strong emphasis on recruiting diverse racial and ethnic populations that broadly reflect the contemporary population diversity of the United States, including African-, Asian-, Hispanic-, and European-American donors.