CLIENT CASE STUDY

Rare disease tissue processing presents some of the most demanding challenges in translational research:

1. Donor availability is limited and unpredictable,
2. Tissue quality is non-negotiable, and
3. Each donation represents a one-time opportunity that cannot be replaced.

To extract maximum scientific value, research teams must execute complex, multi-protocol tissue processing workflows under strict time constraints—often outside of standard operating hours.

When a top 25 biopharmaceutical company set out to establish a robust biorepository to support a rare disease research program, it quickly became clear that success would depend on more than technical expertise alone. The initiative required

1. Operational readiness at scale,
2. The ability to mobilize specialized teams on short notice, and
3. Proven experience in rare disease tissue processing across multiple anatomical regions and preservation formats.

To meet these demands, the company partnered with ABS Bio, a biobanking and tissue processing organization built to support high-complexity, time-sensitive research programs.

The project centered on processing both normal and rare disease human tissues using multiple, highly specialized preservation protocols across 10 to 13 anatomical regions per donor.

Each donor represented a precious and irreplaceable opportunity to support future translational research.

Initially, the company managed specimen processing internally. However, the labor-intensive nature of the work—combined with the unpredictability of donor availability—made it increasingly difficult to sustain internally without risk to sample integrity or timelines.

Human donor events do not follow schedules. Several donors became available over weekends or outside normal business hours, creating significant logistical pressure. Any delay or misstep could permanently compromise samples that could never be replaced—particularly in the context of a rare disorder.

Before transitioning to human donors, the client and ABS Bio took a collaborative, phased approach. ABS Bio was first “trialed” on a non-human primate cohort using identical preservation methods planned for human specimens.

That pilot alone illustrated the scale and complexity of the effort: processing more than 30 organs from two primates required a 10-scientist team working approximately 12 hours each in a single day on rare disease tissue processing workflows.

The successful execution of this pilot demonstrated not only ABS Bio’s technical capabilities, but also its ability to mobilize personnel, manage workflows, and maintain quality under intense time pressure.

Together, the teams from ABS Bio and the client reviewed and fine-tuned protocols until a robust program was documented. When an unexpected human donor became available shortly thereafter, ABS was ready—cementing the transition to human specimen processing.

For each donor, ABS Bio executed multiple preservation protocols tailored to the client’s anticipated downstream research needs. These included:

• DNA and RNA preservation,
• Liquid nitrogen flash freezing,
• Formalin-fixed paraffin embedding (FFPE), and
• IF/IHC workflows using liquid isopentane freezing.

In select cases, ABS Bio also performed cell isolation and preservation following client-provided protocols to support cellular-level studies.

Given the urgent and rare nature of donor availability, specimens were processed and shipped to the client as complete donor packages rather than placed into long-term storage. This approach minimized ischemic time and preserved maximum research utility.

Equally important was the human infrastructure behind the science. ABS Bio assembled a dedicated, cross-functional processing team with clearly defined roles, supported by robust project management and real-time coordination. The team routinely responded to weekend and off-hour donor events, ensuring that no precious donation was lost due to timing constraints.

Today, ABS Bio provides the client with a long-term, “one-stop” biobanking solution—supporting both sourcing and processing, or processing alone, depending on the donor pathway — with scalable rare disease tissue processing infrastructure.

Through reliable, operationally ready rare disease tissue processing programs, the partnership enables the client to preserve rare and normal donor tissues in multiple formats, maximizing flexibility for future research applications.

By combining advanced preservation techniques with operational readiness and collaborative execution, ABS Bio helped the client transform unpredictable donor events into reliable, high-value research assets—advancing the foundation for future rare disease therapies.

Looking for a partner experienced in rare disease tissue processing?
Learn how ABS Bio supports complex, time-sensitive research programs with operational readiness and advanced biobanking.