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General Information | ||
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Text of the Brain Awareness Week Poster
Why do we store human brain tissue? What do we do?The aim of the PDS Tissue Bank is to supply high quality samples of human brain and other tissue to scientists studying the causes and treatments of Parkinson's Disease. What is Parkinson's Disease (PD)?PD is a slowly progressive disease of the nervous system, generally affecting the elderly. It is characterised by rigidity of the limbs, tremor and difficulty in initiating movement. It occurs due to a loss of cells which produce a chemical called dopamine in a particular region of the brain, substantia nigra. Why do we need human brain tissue for PD research?Thus far, there are no treatments for PD that can halt the disease or restore damaged parts of the brain. In order to establish new and more effective treatments for Parkinson's, it is necessary to gain a better understanding of the changes that occur in brain tissue and to relate these to healthy ageing, by comparing PD tissue with results obtained from parallel study of normal brain tissue. Human tissue research has already contributed to the development of drugs for Parkinson's such as L-Dopa and greater understanding of how we control movement. Hence, the donation of the human brain is one of the most important legacies that can be made to the progression of research into Parkinson’s and other neurological disorders. What tissue is required?Since PD is a progressive disease of the nervous system, the brain and spinal cord are used in research. The cerebrospinal fluid bathes the brain and spinal cord, so the study of this fluid may also provide useful information. We therefore routinely remove the following tissue:
Who can donate?ANYONE can donate to the Tissue Bank! What is involved in the donation procedure?If someone is interested in donation, they are sent an information sheet to read, to ensure they can make the important decision of whether to become a registered tissue donor. Then, once the person has discussed it with their family and has decided they wish to donate, they are required to complete three forms; a donor form, which the person signs themselves to show that they wish to donate; a next-of-kin form for a relative to complete; an health information form. The next-of-kin form is essential, due to the fact that following the death of a donor; permission from the next-of-kin has to be obtained before any tissue can be removed. Once the Tissue Bank receives the completed forms, the donor is registered by addition to our database and will be sent a donor card with their own unique donor number. The donor is encouraged to carry the card with them at all time. The donor card shows our 24 hour contact number (07659 10 45 37). |
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How do Tissue Banks collect, process and store human brain tissue? What do Tissue Banks do?The aim of the Tissue Banks is to:
The Tissue Banks are able to achieve this aim only because of the generosity and forethought of individuals who donate their tissues to research. How is tissue retrieved?
The brain and spinal cord change very quickly after death. Tissue that has been preserved within 24 hours of death is of greatest value to research. Therefore it is important that the tissue is preserved as soon as possible after death. By using this procedure we are usually able to preserve tissue within 24hours. How is brain and spinal cord processed and stored?
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"Looking at post-mortem brain tissue is like looking at the scene of a crime. In the same way that crime scene investigators piece together all the bits of evidence to build-up a picture of how the crime was committed, scientists gather information from looking at samples of tissue to find out how the damage was caused and to discover how stop it." Contact Information
UK Parkinson’s Disease Society Tissue Bank at Imperial College London
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