# Massachusetts Alzheimer's Disease Research Center

> **NIH NIH P30** · MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL · 2022 · $50,416

## Abstract

Project summary:
The awarded project is the Massachusetts Alzheimer Disease Research Center. A key,
mandated component of this Center is a Neuropathology Core, whose mission is to provide
autopsy diagnoses and provide tissue to investigators to further the overall mission of
understanding Alzheimer’s and related illnesses. Specific tissue preparations vary according to
the scientific project. Broadly, tissue is either fixed and embedded in paraffin blocks for
histological analyses, or snap frozen and stored at -80 degrees C. If frozen, the tissue can be
distributed en block for homogenization and biochemical analyses or cut into thin sections on
the order of 10 microns thickness using a specialized piece of equipment, a cryostat, that can
maintain the tissue in its frozen state while shaving the sections from the surface. These thin
frozen sections are ideal for experiments such as autoradiography of PET ligands, in situ
hybridization, specific immunostaining protocols, conformation specific assays including
protease digestions, laser capture microdissection, and newer assays such as in situ sequencing.
Although Center investigators are among the leaders in these approaches (eg. our Center was
the first to publish autoradiography of the current generation of tau PET ligands), and have
several active funded protocols in place using the other named techniques, we have been
unable to fulfill requests for cryostat prepared tissues since our cryostat is unable to maintain
freezing temperatures, and is unable to be repaired.
We have had, for many years, access to cryostats for the preparation of frozen sections of
banked tissue for distribution to investigators. These were a Leica CM 1900-6-1 and a Lecia CM
1900-3-1 cryostat; both are more than 18 years old, are no longer functional, and can no longer
be serviced or repaired. We therefore cannot prepare samples for the advanced studies noted
above including laser capture microscopy, in situ hybridization, in situ sequencing,
receptor/protein aggregate autoradiography. We have chosen the Leica CM 3050, which is the
current model of this equipment, to replace the broken and out of date cryostat.
In sum, we request funds to replace a critical piece of equipment for our Neuropathology core
of the ADRC. We appreciate your considering this request.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10511260
- **Project number:** 3P30AG062421-03S3
- **Recipient organization:** MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL
- **Principal Investigator:** BRADLEY T. HYMAN
- **Activity code:** P30 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $50,416
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2019-04-15 → 2024-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10511260

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10511260, Massachusetts Alzheimer's Disease Research Center (3P30AG062421-03S3). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-26 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10511260. Licensed CC0.

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