The biobank of the Department for Cardiac Surgery at the University Hospital Düsseldorf serves as a central platform for the systematic collection, processing, and storage of human tissue samples and associated clinical data obtained during cardiac surgical procedures. The biobank includes, among others, samples from heart valves, aortic vascular tissue, and explanted hearts from heart transplantation procedures including pericardial adipose tissue, thereby providing a unique resource for translational cardiovascular research.

The Central Biobank for Cardiac Surgery (CBBC) ensures standardized sample management, high-quality bioprocessing, and secure administration of both biological specimens and clinical information. These resources form the basis for a broad spectrum of biomedical research projects at our institution as well as within national and international collaborations.

Collected tissues can be utilized for diverse experimental applications, including the isolation of primary cells for in vitro analyses and advanced three-dimensional tissue culture models such as spheroids and organoids. In addition, the biobank supports molecular and functional investigations including transcriptomic analyses of gene expression and proteomic profiling.

Through interdisciplinary and international networking, the CBBC aims to advance the understanding of cardiovascular disease mechanisms and risk factors, ultimately contributing to the development of innovative diagnostic and therapeutic strategies and improving patient care in cardiac surgery.

Team: 
Dr. rer. nat. Julia Hesse, scientific group leader
Dr. med. Fumitaka Suzuki, deputy scientific group leader

Laura Burlinski, cand. med.
Larissa Holert, cand. med.
Jannes Klenzendorf, student assistant
Marie Porovne, student assistant
Sarah Saradar, student assistant
Wintana Yigzaw, student assistant
Nathalie Zahn, cand. med.