UCLA

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is a physiologically essential fluid produced by the brain that is involved in protecting the brain and in the exchange of nutrients and waste products. CSF has long been utilized to confirm clinical suspicion of various infectious and inflammatory disorders, such as meningitis and multiple sclerosis. However, there has been increasing interest in collecting CSF in order to study the clinical significance of additional biomarkers. This chapter outlines the procedures necessary to collect, process, store, and utilize CSF obtained for the purposes of biobanking from both living and deceased patients.