Ethical Tissue, the University of Bradford Human Tissue Bank

• Research type

  Research Tissue Bank

• IRAS ID

  99249

• Research summary

  Ethical Tissue, the Research Tissue Bank

• REC name

  Yorkshire & The Humber - Leeds East Research Ethics Committee

• REC reference

  07/H1306/98+5

• Date of REC Opinion

  19 Jul 2012

• REC opinion

  Further Information Favourable Opinion

• Data collection arrangements

  The University of Bradford has provided dedicated secure laboratory facilities designed and equipped to support the activities of Ethical Tissue in supplying a wide range of human tissues, cells and cellular fragments for relevant biomedical research. Patients and Healthy Volunteers have face to face interviews to explain the process prior to signing a consent form. The donor receives a copy of their signed consent form and an information booklet. Samples are handled quickly to maintain them in a good state and sensitively. They are used either as fresh tissue or processed in some way prior to storage in the bank.
  All samples and any information held about the tissue donation are sent out to researchers with an anonymous, unique code – nothing can be traced back to the donor. Ethical Tissue does not contact the donor in the future, though of course, if they come into hospital again they may be asked for their consent to donate tissue on a separate occasion.
  Many people want to support biomedical research in this way, in so going they give researchers the opportunity to work with human tissue – the ‘gold standard’ in many areas of research using tissue sourced, tracked and processed according to the legal and regulatory framework that protects UK citizens from malpractice.

• Research programme

  Researchers requiring tissue for a research project contact the bank to see if the tissue is currently available or if it can be obtained. An application form has to be completed which is reviewed by a panel of senior scientists and clinicians (ISAC’s). Staff at Ethical Tissue do not make the decision as to whether a researcher gets the tissue they want. Ethical Tissue has about 40 studies in academic institutions, pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. This is not a resource that is just for the university of Bradford researchers, all have had to be assessed as being suitable to receive the donation of human tissue for their research. Having a tissue bank allows us to optimise every donation. Large samples can be divided between more than one study looking at different aspects of a disease; smaller samples can be processed in such a way that several researchers can receive thin sections of tissue on a microscope slide for their further processing. Nothing is wasted, cells can be cultured, proteins extracted, sub-cellular fractions supplied. These are valuable tools in helping the researcher understand human disease using human tissue. For further information contact Ethical Tissue at enquiries@ethicaltissue.org or go to www.ethicaltissue.org

• Storage license

  12191

• RTBTitle

  Ethical Tissue, the Research Tissue Bank

• Establishment organisation

  University of Bradford

• Establishment organisation address

  Richmond Road

  Bradford

  West Yorkshire

  BD7 1DP