• What is the Tissue Bank?

• Why was it established?

• What do we do?

• Outline of Procedure

• Who works here?

• Location

• By tube

• By bus

• By taxi

• By car

• Overview

• Office

• Laboratory

• Current News

• Future Events

• Past Events

• Open Day

• Current Issue (PDF)

• Current Issue (web page)

• Current Issue
  (text-only web page)

• Which version should I choose?

• Archive

• Talks

• Posters

• Donor Schemes

• Organisations

• Parkinson's Disease

• Introduction

• Current Report

• Archive

Why donate your brain to the Parkinson's Disease Society (PDS) Tissue Bank?

Aim of the Tissue Bank

Develop a framework allowing successful interactions between:

• People with Parkinson's disease
• Parkinson's Disease Society
• Relatives and carers
• Residential Homes
• General Practitioners
• Neurologists
• Neuropathologists
• Scientists Researching into Parkinson's Disease

To obtain and distribute High Quality human brain tissue, for research into PD and related disorders both in the UK and worldwide.

• Recruitment into donor scheme
• Collection of patient data, family histories, epidemiological details
• Collection, processing and storage of human tissue
• Distribution of tissue to scientists
• Raise public awareness, links with international PD research and interest groups

HUMAN Brain Tissue is VITALLY IMPORTANT for ongoing progress into the understanding and treatment of neurological disorders such as Parkinson's Disease.

• Why human?
  • Animals don't get PD, hence donated tissue is essential for examining the mechanisms of cell death, pathological changes etc.
  • Complement some animal work and tissue culture studies, and provide confirmation of these studies
• Past research:
  • Drug development - L-DOPA
  • Some understanding of mechanisms of cell death

• What is the Tissue Bank?

• Why was it established?

• What do we do?

• Outline of Procedure

• Who works here?

• Location

• By tube

• By bus

• By taxi

• By car

• Overview

• Office

• Laboratory

• Current News

• Future Events

• Past Events

• Open Day

• Current Issue (PDF)

• Current Issue (web page)

• Current Issue
  (text-only web page)

• Which version should I choose?

• Archive

• Talks

• Posters

• Donor Schemes

• Organisations

• Parkinson's Disease

• Introduction

• Current Report

• Archive

Anyone!

• Parkinson's Disease
• 'Parkinson's plus' movement disorders:
  • Multiple System Atrophy (MSA)
  • Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP)
• Controls – very important

With Human tissue there is always a great demand!

What is involved in the donation procedure?

Rapid collection of tissue is important (Aim - 24 hours)

1. Death of registered donor
2. Next of kin calls PDS Tissue Bank 24 hour emergency telephone number
3. PDS Tissue bank immediately calls for further details
4. Deceased transported to nearby hospital for tissue removal
5. Body returned to funeral directors
6. Tissue collected and stored at Charing Cross Hospital

1. Dissection and cryopreservation of fresh tissue

   1. Fresh tissue (brain and, where possible, spinal cord) received

   2. Brain photographed and cut in half

   3. Half taken for preservation in fixative (see number 2)

   4. Remaining tissue cut into 1cm thick anterior and posterior slices

   5. Slices photographed

   6. Slices cut into blocks and re-photographed

   7. Tissue blocks snap-frozen in isopentane

   8. Blocks logged and stored in the freezer (-85^oC)

2. Dissection and cryopreservation of fixed tissue

   1. Several weeks in fixative solution

   2. Cut into slices, photographed and examined by a neuropathologist

   3. Specific blocks removed for analysis (see number 3)

   4. Remaining tissue cut into blocks and re-photographed

   5. Blocks snap-frozen in isopentane

   6. Tissue logged and stored in the freezer (-85^oC)

3. Processing and analysis of selected fixed tissue blocks

   1. Tissue blocks infiltrated with paraffin

   2. Paraffin blocks cut into thin sections, which are then transferred to microscope slides

   3. Tissue sections stained using various standard and specific methods as necessary

   4. Staining analysed

   5. Report produced

4. Researchers request tissue and information for research

• What is the Tissue Bank?

• Why was it established?

• What do we do?

• Outline of Procedure

• Who works here?

• Location

• By tube

• By bus

• By taxi

• By car

• Overview

• Office

• Laboratory

• Current News

• Future Events

• Past Events

• Open Day

• Current Issue (PDF)

• Current Issue (web page)

• Current Issue
  (text-only web page)

• Which version should I choose?

• Archive

• Talks

• Posters

• Donor Schemes

• Organisations

• Parkinson's Disease

• Introduction

• Current Report

• Archive

	Pre-July	Total To Date	On system (Current)
Total number of donors registered	139	954(366)	774(353)

Donor Statistics

Percentage of registered prospective donors:

• PD - 54%
• Control - 46%

Case percentage:

• PD - 94%
• Control - 4%
• Disease control - 2%

Donors

• Mean Age at Onset: 65 (32-85)
• Mean Age at Death: 77 (42-93)
• Mean Duration of Illness: 12 (2-43)
• Female: Male (28%: 72%)

• Requests for tissue from recognised Institutions both in the UK and around the world.
• The project is reviewed by an independent scientific panel, to check whether the project is scientifically sound and will benefit medical research.
• Written report on the research carried out by the research team.
• Acknowledgement of the Tissue Bank and PDS in any scientific publication where donated tissue has been used.

• Animal Models & Neuroinflammation - Dr David Dexter, Prof Richard Reynolds
• Autonomic Function - Prof Chris Mathias
• Cognitive Function - Prof Chris Kennard
• Gene Therapy - Graham Wilkin, Prof Harry Bradford
• Molecular Genetics - Prof Manuel Graeber, Dr David Dexter, Dr Ronald Pearce
• Movement Disorder clinics - Dr Peter Bain, Dr Ronald Pearce
• Neurosurgery - Mr Tipu Aziz
• PET Studies - Prof David Brooks, Dr Paula Piccini

• What is the Tissue Bank?

• Why was it established?

• What do we do?

• Outline of Procedure

• Who works here?

• Location

• By tube

• By bus

• By taxi

• By car

• Overview

• Office

• Laboratory

• Current News

• Future Events

• Past Events

• Open Day

• Current Issue (PDF)

• Current Issue (web page)

• Current Issue
  (text-only web page)

• Which version should I choose?

• Archive

• Talks

• Posters

• Donor Schemes

• Organisations

• Parkinson's Disease

• Introduction

• Current Report

• Archive

Mechanisms of Neuronal death

• Accumulation of Fe in the PD Substantia nigra – Stimulation of free radicals.

• Increased free radical damage to lipids and other cellular components.

• Deficiency of the bodies defence systems against free radicals – antioxidants.

• Defect in mitochondrial function

• Process called Oxidative stress!

• Open study using high doses of vitamin E & C in newly diagnosed Parkinson's disease patients. Positive effect on the progression of the disease i.e. delayed the requirement to start L-DOPA therapy (Fahn, 1992).

• Double blind DATATOP study looking at vitamin E. Showed no effect on the progression of the disease (Shoulson et al, 1992).

• Is Vitamin E the best anti-oxidant to use?

Polyphenols as novel neuroprotective agents

• Found in many fruits, vegetables, seeds, grain, tea & wine.
• Antioxidant (Rice-Evans et al, 1998).
• Chelate metal ions (Bravo L, 1998).
• Modify activity of antioxidant enzymes and levels of antioxidants (Sudheesh S et al 1998)
• Anti-inflammatory (Montanari A et al, 1999)

• Stereotactic injection of 6-hydroxydopamine into the medial forebrain bundle
• Produces several features of Parkinson's disease - oxidative stress/damage, iron accumulation, inflammation

• Epidemiology studies reveal that women are less likely to develop PD!

• Pre-menopausal women with PD experience clinical fluctuation to drugs during the estrous cycle.

• Removal of hormone replacement therapy in post-menopausal women worsens PD!

Gene Expression Analysis

• 33,000 genes to look at!

• Concentrate on the genes responsible for the mechanisms of cell death that we have identified so far e.g. oxidative stress.

• Once we have identified genes that are either up or down regulated we will look at their expression at the cellular level i.e. does it occur in neurones, glia etc

• What is the Tissue Bank?

• Why was it established?

• What do we do?

• Outline of Procedure

• Who works here?

• Location

• By tube

• By bus

• By taxi

• By car

• Overview

• Office

• Laboratory

• Current News

• Future Events

• Past Events

• Open Day

• Current Issue (PDF)

• Current Issue (web page)

• Current Issue
  (text-only web page)

• Which version should I choose?

• Archive

• Talks

• Posters

• Donor Schemes

• Organisations

• Parkinson's Disease

• Introduction

• Current Report

• Archive

• Branch Talks (some with press coverage) –
  Bath, Worthing, Aberystwyth, Barnet, Horsham, Sevenoaks, North Herts/Stevenage, Croydon, Northampton, Cheltenham, Doncaster, Brentwood, Lincoln, Rugby, Christchurch, Leicester, Poole, Beccles, Byfleet, Malmesbury, Bradford, Dumfries, Oldham, Halifax, Worcester, Newbury, Longeaton, Bracknell, Portsmouth, Ashford, Stevenage (YAPP&Rs), NW Branches, South Anglia, Plymouth, Southampton, Dundee, Greenwich, Peterborough, Barking, Harlow, Hitchin, Lewisham, Oxford, Hampshire (YAPP&Rs), Basingstoke, Southend, Haltwhistle, Penrith, Welwyn and Hatfield, Guildford, Dartford, Amersham, Liverpool, Sutton, Kingston and Epsom, Hillingdon, Lincoln, Hull, York, Derby, Farnborough, Minehead, NW Somerset, Southport, Maidenhead, Barnsley, West Midlands, Stockport, Sandwell, Canterbury, Eastbourne, Cirencester, Bristol, Harrogate, Beccles, Cardiff, Newport, Aberdeen, Chichester, Reigate, Leamington, Bridport, West Herts.

• PDS AGM 2001, 2002, 2004 and 2005. YAPP&R’s AGM 2005.

• Scottish Branches meeting in Stirling.

• Northern Ireland Branches Meeting in Cookstown.

• BA Festival of Science, Dublin September 2005

• Meeting of PD nurse specialists in Nottingham. Community and support workers – Reading 2004, Kensington 2004

• Donate for the future article – "Parkinson" Magazine.

• SPRING conference – 11th March 2003

• Brain Awareness Week – 10th-14th March 2003

• PD nurse visit arranged by GSK – 25th March and 4th Nov 2003, 9th Jan and 13th Feb 2004, 18th November 2005

• Tissue Bank open day – 28th March 2003, 16th April 2004, 11th April 2005

• Article for Working With Older People – June 2003

• Articles in YapMag – August 2003, Winter 2003

• Articles in Branch literature – Worcester, Lewisham, North Herts (YAPP&Rs), Mid Somerset, North London, Guildford, Hillingdon, Taunton, Dorset (YAPP&RS)

• First Newsletter Out September 2003, Second April 2004, Third September 2004, Fourth April 2005, Fifth September 2005

• Sixth newsletter Out Now!!!

"DONATION OF YOUR BRAIN IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT LEGACIES YOU CAN MAKE TO THE ADVANCEMENT OF RESEARCH INTO PARKINSON’S DISEASE AND OTHER NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS!"

Contact Details

UK Parkinson's Disease Society Tissue Bank at Imperial College
Division of Neuroscience & Psychological Medicine, Imperial College of Science Technology & Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Charing Cross Campus, Fulham Palace Road, London W6 8RF
Tel: (Int +44-20) 020-8383-4917, Fax: (Int +44-20) 020-8383-4918
Email: pdbank@imperial.ac.uk
Website: www.parkinsonstissuebank.org.uk/