Prospective Collaborators

How can researchers request the tissues and data?

The unique materials from the USTUR/National Human Radiobiology Tissue Repository (NHRTR) are available to reputable investigators for scientific research purposes. Scientific investigators may request, in writing, tissues or tissue samples from the NHRTR for legitimate research purposes. Investigators must agree to maintain privacy of the Registrants and to follow all ethical human subjects considerations and legal requirements as well as the published policies of the Registries. If available, the Registries will provide the most suitable tissue requested (e.g. frozen, formalin-fixed, or dried) for study. The only stipulations are that the Registries be acknowledged as the source of the samples, radiochemical analysis, or other data used in scientific proposals or manuscripts submitted for publication, and that a USTUR faculty member be included as a coauthor if previously unpublished data generated by the USTUR are included in a manuscript. Scientific collaboration with the USTUR is encouraged as appropriate.

If you are interested in collaborating with the Registries, please read through the following USTUR procedures pertaining to scientific collaboration, registrant confidentiality, and authorship on manuscripts:

Authorship on Manuscripts (P105)
Scientific Collaboration and Data Access (P106)
Statement of Confidentiality (F106)
Publications Policy (P107)

What materials are available?

The USTUR receives, preserves, and catalogs a portion of each organ and bone from whole-body donors as well as selected tissue and organ samples from partial-body donors. Currently, the NHRTR holds approximately 9,000 frozen and formalin-fixed tissue samples from 40+ whole- and 100+ partial-body USTUR donors, and approximately 10,000 acid-digested tissue samples. A wide range of tissues is available including samples from the bone, lung, lymph node, liver, kidney, and brain. Click here for a summary of frozen tissues available at the USTUR, organized by the type of tissue.

Information on each Registrant such as radiation exposure history, work history, bioassay and other dosimetry results, chemical exposures, smoking history, cause of death, and results of radiochemical analysis of tissues is available. Exposure and medical histories are available for the majority of the cases from whom tissues or related materials have been obtained. However, the identity of all cases is strictly protected and confidentiality is maintained in accordance with legal and ethical requirements.

The NHRTR also houses materials from acquired collections, such as Argonne National Laboratory’s radium worker studies and population studies carried out by Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory (LASL).

Learn more about available tissues
NHRTR Brochure

Who can I contact for more information?

For more information about the United States Transuranium and Uranium Registries &
National Human Radiobiology Tissue Repository please contact:

Sergei Tolmachev
USTUR Director
1845 Terminal Drive, Suite 201
Richland, WA 99354
Phone: 509-946-6870
Toll-free: 1-800-375-9317
Email: stolmachev@wsu.edu