Cardiology Core Laboratory
for Translational and Clinical Research
Mission and Vision
The Cardiology Core Laboratory for Translational and Clinical Research (CLTCR) provides resource support in translational and clinical research on cardiovascular diseases.
The CLTCR, established in 2009, has developed a well-established infrastructure and standard operating procedure (SOP) for biobanking, multicenter clinical trial services, and biomarker testing on various platforms.
- Our vision is to be the center of excellence in biobanking and cardiovascular translational research to improve human health.
- Our mission is to provide high-quality clinically annotated biospecimens via accredited biobanking services to support clinical and translational research, to study molecular mechanisms of disease using human biological samples, and to discover new biomarkers for the prevention, early detection, and treatment of cardiovascular disease.
CAP Biorepository Accreditation
In 2021, the CLTCR obtained accreditation from the College of American Pathologists (CAP) Biorepository Accredited Program (BAP), which recognizes the high standards and quality of our biorepository operations.
The program integrates best practices from the International Society for Biological and Environmental Biorepositories, the National Cancer Institute, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and the CAP Laboratory Accreditation Program (CLIA).
We became the first research core lab at VUMC with CAP BAP accreditation and compliance with the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA).
Cardiovascular Research
The CLTCR is actively supporting/participating in translational and clinical cardiovascular research in the following areas:
- "CLTCR bench Research" Molecular genetic mechanisms of Sudden Death in Youth (SDY)
- Biomarker development in early detection and or monitory of immuno-check point inhibitor induced cardiac toxicity.
- Molecular genetic mechanisms of congenital heart disease and cardiomyopathy
- Molecular genetic mechanisms of valvular disease
Resources and Services
The Cardiology Core Lab has become a fundamental resource for establishing and maintaining a variety of cardiovascular biorepositories, with specimen types including serum, plasma, urine, DNA, RNA, human heart tissue samples, peripheral blood mononucleated cells (PBMCs), and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) lines.
The CLTCR offers experimental services for DNA and RNA extractions, biomarker testing and validation using different platforms, such as ELISA, Luminex technology, Roche cobas e411 immunoanalyzer, Roche cobas C303 clinical chemistry analyzer, and BRAHMS Kryptor immunoassay analyzer.
We are committed to developing and applying new technologies for biomarker testing and providing our services with the highest quality and integrity.
To request services please visit our iLab page.