Advancing Medicine Through the Power of Donation

IIAM provides a broad array of donated organs and tissue from virtually every system of the human body to support medical research.

Never. Organ and tissue transplants take precedence over any other need. The circumstances of death and the medical history of the donor, however, may determine suitability for transplantation. Donation for research provides a viable option for willing donors and donor families when transplantation is not possible.

Yes. If you are a registered donor or a loved one authorizing donation for transplantation and/or research, you will sign an authorization/consent document for both and those responsible for recovering and placing your organs for transplantation will make every effort to see that your wishes with regard to research are fulfilled.

It’s crucial. Everyone understands that a single organ donation for transplantation can save a life. The benefits of research donation are equally valuable. Medical researchers are working with donated organs and tissue to achieve breakthroughs in medicine, saving and improving millions of lives.

IIAM places donor organs and tissue with qualified academic, governmental, pharmaceutical, biotech and private research institutions. All such recipients of donor tissue must complete an application/agreement and be approved by IIAM’s Application Review Committee.

Most people can donate for research. Age is not a barrier to research donation. Often times, neither is a donor’s medical condition. In fact, a medical history that might make someone an unsuitable organ or tissue transplant donor may be the very thing a researcher is looking for to carry out important studies. Certain infectious diseases may rule out research donation. Contact an IIAM coordinator for more information.

The National Organ Transplant Act (NOTA) prohibits the buying and selling of human organs. IIAM works with both not-for-profit and for-profit or commercial entities, all of whom complete an IIAM Application/Agreement and demonstrate medical or educational merit in their work that requires human organs and/or tissue. This information is explained to the legal next of kin or on the donor registry before authorization/consent is obtained.

Organs and tissue provided by IIAM for medical research come from donors that are candidates for transplant into human. In many cases, some or all organs from a donor are not transplanted into a person. These donors generously provide for their precious gift to be used in medical research. These organs are treated as if they are for transplant. They are procured immediately, flushed with preservation solution and shipped directly to the research lab. In this way, the organs and their cells remain viable and are not preserved, processed, or frozen.

When you sign up for organ donation, you are often given the opportunity to simultaneously register to have non-transplanted organs go towards medical research. Sometimes, as when enrolling with a driver’s license renewal, this option isn’t always presented. In this case, you can register directly at the Donate Life Registry found here Your Information | Donate Life America (registerme.org)

In each country the responsible body (e.g., IIAM in the U.S.), will receive calls from Organ Procurement Organizations with organ referrals for research. These organizations then screen the donor information to confirm proper donor authorization/consent for research and review vital medical and social information. The organ will then be matched to a research client’s criteria against the donor information and begin disseminating the organ profile and allowing the researcher to accept the offer. Upon acceptance, organ recovery, preservation and transportation instructions are arranged. More information can be found here. Organ Donation: Transplant & Research | Scientist.com (nih.gov)

You can contact IIAM directly through this website. IIAM will work with you to ascertain the particular needs of your research, organ type and criteria, and other key factors. The process is clear and straightforward, and IIAM is there to support you at every step.

IIAM has highly trained Organ Placement Coordinators who know exactly how to search for the specific organ to meet a researcher’s needs. After finding a match, we always contact the researcher for final approval.

IIAM handles all logistics with specialized couriers who are skilled in biomedical transport. The organs arrive directly at your lab shortly after procurement.

IIAM can rapidly adjust to meet your ongoing research requirements.

IIAM is a non-profit institution. The fees charged vary with organ and help cover the surgical recovery costs, the organ procurement, delivery, and IIAM associated costs.