Contact & Mailing

Mailing Instructions:

General Instructions

All specimens should be shipped using Federal Express.  Specimens should be shipped Monday through Thursday to avoid Saturday and holiday delivery.  For tracking purposes, a copy of the Federal Express Airbill should be faxed (216-368-2546 or 216-368-4090) to the NPDPSC on the day of shipment

All shipments should be addressed to:

Please send a completed Test Request Form with all samples. The NPDPSC requires any available clinical information when sending tissue and/or blood to assist us in making the most accurate diagnosis possible. The NPDPSC is CLIA certified and fully compliant with HIPAA regulations.


Instructions by Type of Sample

Blocks/slides: Slides should be placed in plastic slide holders and mailed in a bubble wrap envelope.  Blocks should be mailed in a bubble wrap envelope.
Blood: Ship at room temperature in protective bubble wrap or Styrofoam on the day that the blood is collected. The NPDPSC processes blood samples for special cases only, and all blood samples must be accompanied by a signed Testing and Reporting Policies Form as well as clinical and/or family history. Please contact the Center Manager at 216-368-0819 for more information if needed.
CSF: Ship using a Styrofoam container with sufficient dry ice (5lbs/24hrs). The NPDPSC requests a urine sample for research purposes with all CSF samples if available.
Urine: Ship double boxed using a Styrofoam container with sufficient dry ice (5lbs/24 hrs).
Fixed tissue: Ship double boxed without dry ice.
Frozen tissue: Ship double-boxed using a Styrofoam container with sufficient dry ice (5lbs/24hrs). Please include a signed Testing and Reporting Policies Form with frozen tissue samples. The NPDPSC sequences the prion protein gene for all positive cases. Please contact the Center Manager at 216-368-0819 for more information if needed.

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