Skip to main content

Biospecimens

The Michael J. Fox Foundation makes data and biospecimens available from select Parkinson’s studies for discovery and validation research. Visit our Data page for resources from these and other studies. We also fund promising projects that use these data and biospecimen collections.

16 Types of Samples Available

  • Parkinson’s Progression Markers Initiative
    Population:
    De novo, unmedicated PD; prodromal; genetic; controls
    Request Samples For:
    Biomarker validation; Disease Progression; Understand genetic PD
    Cohort Size
    1,500+

    • DNA

    • RNA

    • CSF

    • Whole or Pellet Blood

    • Plasma

    • Serum

    • Urine

    • Saliva

    • Peripheral Mononuclear Blood Cells

    • Fibroblasts

    • Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells

    • Skin Tissue

    • Colon Tissue

    • Sub-Mandibular Gland Tissue

  • BioFIND
    Population:
    Moderate to advanced PD and controls
    Request Samples For:
    Biomarker Discovery; Biomarker Replication
    Cohort Size
    ~200

    • DNA

    • RNA

    • CSF

    • Whole or Pellet Blood

    • Plasma

    • Serum

    • Urine

    • Saliva

    • Peripheral Mononuclear Blood Cells

    • Fibroblasts

    • Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells

    • Skin Tissue

    • Colon Tissue

    • Sub-Mandibular Gland Tissue

  • LRRK2 Cohort Consortium
    Population:
    Genetic
    Request Samples For:
    Biomarker Discovery; Biomarker Replication; Disease Progression; Understand genetic PD
    Cohort Size
    3,200

    • DNA

    • RNA

    • CSF

    • Whole or Pellet Blood

    • Plasma

    • Serum

    • Urine

    • Saliva

    • Peripheral Mononuclear Blood Cells

    • Fibroblasts

    • Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells

    • Skin Tissue

    • Colon Tissue

    • Sub-Mandibular Gland Tissue

  • DATATOP
    Population:
    Early, unmedicated PD
    Request Samples For:
    Biomarker Discovery; Biomarker Replication; Disease Progression; Pharmacogenetics/pharmacodynamics;
    Cohort Size
    800

    • DNA

    • RNA

    • CSF

    • Whole or Pellet Blood

    • Plasma

    • Serum

    • Urine

    • Saliva

    • Peripheral Mononuclear Blood Cells

    • Fibroblasts

    • Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells

    • Skin Tissue

    • Colon Tissue

    • Sub-Mandibular Gland Tissue

  • 24-Hour Biofluid Sampling
    Population:
    Early to moderate PD and controls
    Request Samples For:
    Assay development/ validation; Biomarker Discovery; Biomarker Replication; Diurnal fluctuation
    Cohort Size
    ~30

    • DNA

    • RNA

    • CSF

    • Whole or Pellet Blood

    • Plasma

    • Serum

    • Urine

    • Saliva

    • Peripheral Mononuclear Blood Cells

    • Fibroblasts

    • Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells

    • Skin Tissue

    • Colon Tissue

    • Sub-Mandibular Gland Tissue

  • Arizona Parkinson's Disease Consortium
    Population:
    PD, other neurodegenerative diseases, neurologically normal elderly controls
    Request Samples For:
    Clinicopathological correlations
    Cohort Size
    450

    • Postmortem CSF

    • Postmortem Blood

    • Postmortem Tissue

  • Nilo-PD
    Population:
    moderate/advanced PD
    Request Samples For:
    Assay development, biomarker discovery, pharmacogenetics/pharmacodynamics, biomarker replication & validation
    Cohort Size
    76

    • DNA

    • RNA

    • CSF

    • Whole or Pellet Blood

    • Plasma

    • Serum

    • Urine

    • Saliva

    • Peripheral Mononuclear Blood Cells

    • Fibroblasts

    • Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells

    • Skin Tissue

    • Colon Tissue

    • Sub-Mandibular Gland Tissue

  • LRRK2 PBMC & Urine Biobank
    Population:
    Genetic PD
    Request Samples For:
    Assay development/ validation; Biomarker Discovery; Biomarker Replication; Biomarker validation; Understand genetic PD
    Cohort Size
    ~150

    • DNA

    • RNA

    • CSF

    • Whole or Pellet Blood

    • Plasma

    • Serum

    • Urine

    • Saliva

    • Peripheral Mononuclear Blood Cells

    • Fibroblasts

    • Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells

    • Skin Tissue

    • Colon Tissue

    • Sub-Mandibular Gland Tissue

  • S4
    Population:
    early, moderate, advanced Parkinson's Disease patients and Healthy Controls
    Request Samples For:
    Biomarker Discovery; Biomarker Replication; Biomarker validation studies related to a-synuclein
    Cohort Size
    81

    • DNA

    • RNA

    • CSF

    • Whole or Pellet Blood

    • Plasma

    • Serum

    • Urine

    • Saliva

    • Peripheral Mononuclear Blood Cells

    • Fibroblasts

    • Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells

    • Skin Tissue

    • Colon Tissue

    • Sub-Mandibular Gland Tissue

  • STEADY PD - 3
    Population:
    early idiopathic PD not requiring dopaminergic therapy
    Request Samples For:
    Pharmacogenetics/pharmacodynamic studies
    Cohort Size
    366

    • DNA

    • RNA

    • CSF

    • Whole or Pellet Blood

    • Plasma

    • Serum

    • Urine

    • Saliva

    • Peripheral Mononuclear Blood Cells

    • Fibroblasts

    • Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells

    • Skin Tissue

    • Colon Tissue

    • Sub-Mandibular Gland Tissue

  • SURE-PD3
    Population:
    early Parkinson's Disease
    Request Samples For:
    Pharmacogenetics/pharmacodynamic studies
    Cohort Size
    298

    • DNA

    • RNA

    • CSF

    • Whole or Pellet Blood

    • Plasma

    • Serum

    • Urine

    • Saliva

    • Peripheral Mononuclear Blood Cells

    • Fibroblasts

    • Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells

    • Skin Tissue

    • Colon Tissue

    • Sub-Mandibular Gland Tissue

  • SURE-PD (Phase 2)
    Population:
    early Parkinson's Disease
    Request Samples For:
    Pharmacogenetics/pharmacodynamic studies
    Cohort Size
    75

    • DNA

    • RNA

    • CSF

    • Whole or Pellet Blood

    • Plasma

    • Serum

    • Urine

    • Saliva

    • Peripheral Mononuclear Blood Cells

    • Fibroblasts

    • Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells

    • Skin Tissue

    • Colon Tissue

    • Sub-Mandibular Gland Tissue

  • PARS
    Population:
    At risk for Parkinson's disease
    Request Samples For:
    Biomarker Replication; Biomarker validation; Disease Progression;
    Cohort Size
    301

    • DNA

    • RNA

    • CSF

    • Whole or Pellet Blood

    • Plasma

    • Serum

    • Urine

    • Saliva

    • Peripheral Mononuclear Blood Cells

    • Fibroblasts

    • Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells

    • Skin Tissue

    • Colon Tissue

    • Sub-Mandibular Gland Tissue

  • FS-Zone
    Population:
    early Parkinson's Disease
    Request Samples For:
    Pharmacodynamics/pharmacogenetic studies
    Cohort Size
    217

    • DNA

    • RNA

    • CSF

    • Whole or Pellet Blood

    • Plasma

    • Serum

    • Urine

    • Saliva

    • Peripheral Mononuclear Blood Cells

    • Fibroblasts

    • Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells

    • Skin Tissue

    • Colon Tissue

    • Sub-Mandibular Gland Tissue

  • CERE-120
    Population:
    Parkinson's disease
    Request Samples For:
    Assay development, biomarker discovery, pharmacodynamics/pharmacogenetics.
    Cohort Size
    148

    • DNA

    • RNA

    • CSF

    • Whole or Pellet Blood

    • Plasma

    • Serum

    • Urine

    • Saliva

    • Peripheral Mononuclear Blood Cells

    • Fibroblasts

    • Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells

    • Skin Tissue

    • Colon Tissue

    • Sub-Mandibular Gland Tissue

  • AVE-8112
    Population:
    Parkinson's disease
    Request Samples For:
    Assay development, biomarker discovery, pharmacodynamics/pharmacogenetics
    Cohort Size
    13

    • DNA

    • RNA

    • CSF

    • Whole or Pellet Blood

    • Plasma

    • Serum

    • Urine

    • Saliva

    • Peripheral Mononuclear Blood Cells

    • Fibroblasts

    • Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells

    • Skin Tissue

    • Colon Tissue

    • Sub-Mandibular Gland Tissue

Scientific researcher looking through a microscope in a lab setting.

Get Research Updates

Join our email list to receive updates on new funding opportunities, resources (tools, datasets, biospecimens) and relevant news to accelerate your research.

Sign Up
We use cookies to ensure that you get the best experience. By continuing to use this website, you indicate that you have read our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.