# Clinical Subject and Biospecimen Core

> **NIH NIH U19** · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO · 2024 · $358,451

## Abstract

CLINICAL CORE SUMMARY
The Clinical Subject and Biospecimen Processing and Analysis Core will provide a core resource that will be
required for each aim of both projects. The core will 1) conduct unique processing and novel analysis of inflated
lung specimens from individuals with and without asthma across areas with and without mucus plugs, 2) recruit,
characterize, and sample airway tissue from human subjects in a clinical study, and 3) process and distribute
biospecimens and data to the projects. Dr. Nirav Bhakta (Core Director), along with a team consisting of a
research coordinator, a technician, and a programmer analyst, have considerable experience in all aspects of
recruiting human subjects for translational research protocols, and collecting and banking high-quality
biospecimens. Co-investigator Dr. Tillie Hackett directs a large lung tissue biospecimen bank, The James Hogg
Lung Registry at University of British Columbia, and has developed state of the art methods for detailed molecular
characterization of lung tissue. Using the resources of this highly experienced and well-resourced group, the
core will have three aims. Aim 1 is to identify immune and airway epithelial features associated with asthma and
mucus plugging in banked lung tissue; this includes single-cell, imaging mass cytometry and gene expression
profiling to measure proteins, mRNAs, and miRNAs in lungs from individuals with fatal and non-fatal asthma and
COPD and controls without airway disease. This data will support both projects. Aim 2 is to collect high quality
biospecimens from a new bronchoscopy study using systems and methods which ensure compliance with
federal and local regulations. This will support studies in both projects that require freshly harvested cells. Aim 3
is to provide specialized processing, secure storage, and timely distribution of human biospecimens and data to
both projects and coordinate deposition of data into the publicly accessible NIAID ImmPort database. In addition
to providing very high quality clinical phenotyping and biological specimens from human donors and subjects,
this core will process and distribute epithelial brushings from bronchoscopy and from donor lungs for subsequent
culture, cryopreservation, and single-cell RNA sequencing. Dr. Bhakta and the UCSF Airway Clinical Research
Center in which he conducts human studies have a track record of success in human subjects recruitment,
characterization, and research bronchoscopy, and in the processing, banking, database recording and
distribution of high-quality biospecimens and RNA, as well as linking of molecular and cellular assays to safely
handled and validated databases of associated clinical data. Research conducted by Dr. Hackett and colleagues
from The James Hogg Lung Registry is notable for the methods of inflating donor lungs and imaging them with
CT scanning to enable the comparison of not only the pathology but also molecular (RNA, DNA, protein) profiles
of diseased lungs ...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10809781
- **Project number:** 5U19AI077439-17
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO
- **Principal Investigator:** Nirav Rati Bhakta
- **Activity code:** U19 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $358,451
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2008-04-01 → 2028-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10809781

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10809781, Clinical Subject and Biospecimen Core (5U19AI077439-17). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10809781. Licensed CC0.

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