Tissue banks provide laboratories with the human tissues, cells and fluids required for their research.

Collection

Human samples are collected either:

• During an operation in a hospital with the patients prior consent. This consists of salvaging the surgical ‘waste’ which are usually incinerated.
• From registered donors after their death.

NB: Any relevant information is recorded with the samples however anonymity is always guaranteed.

Samples

Tissue banks provide simples from a number of parts of the body. This includes fluids, cells (which can be cultivated), and whole sections of tissues.

The banks keep records of information relating to the donor which is useful for the research being carried out on the samples. e.g: ethnicity, medication history, pathologies, etc.

The tissues provided can also be examples of pathologies.
Researchers have access to healthy samples as well as those with the pathological symptoms being studied.

Whenever the requested sample, either part of an organism and/or pathology, isn’t in the catalogue some tissue banks have services to satisfy specific requests.

Sources

Bioserve Global Repository Human Tissue Bank

Asterand