What cells are stored at the Coriell Institute?
From four teaspoonfuls of blood or a skin biopsy, it is possible to establish a cell culture and prepare DNA which can be used by scientists worldwide to study genetic diseases. From blood, the white cells, called lymphocytes, can be immortalized with a virus. Once immortalized, these cells can be replicated indefinitely in culture. From a skin biopsy, certain cells, called fibroblasts, can be used to establish a cell line. However, unlike the white cells from the blood, these skin cells will grow for only a limited time in culture. The staff in the Coriell Cell Repositories establish cultures from both blood and skin and these cells are stored frozen at the Institute, ready to be sent to any investigator interested in studying disease processes.
