Primary Airway Cell Biobank (PACB)

The Primary Airway Cell Biobank (PACB) is a non-profit facility, the first of its kind in Canada, that provides researchers worldwide with standardized, high-quality primary airway cells. These cells are sourced from both normal donors and a wide variety of donors with airway diseases. The PACB is certified by the UBC Office of Biobank Education and Research Biobank Certification Program and is affiliated with the International Society for Biological and Environmental Repositories (ISBER).

The PACB emphasizes the use of highly differentiated primary epithelial cells, which are considered the "gold standard" for studying airway physiology, pathophysiology, cell biology, inflammation, and mucosal immunity. These cells are crucial for translational research aimed at developing new therapeutics. The biobank addresses the challenge of limited accessibility, high cost, and low variability of primary human bronchial epithelial cells, which can hinder basic research and drug development, particularly for Cystic Fibrosis patients. By providing cells from diverse genetic backgrounds, the PACB significantly contributes to improving the understanding of Cystic Fibrosis and other respiratory diseases, and to the development of new therapeutic agents.