Sheffield Brain Tissue Bank (SBTB) 2024 renewal

• Research type

  Research Tissue Bank

• IRAS ID

  337338

• Research summary

  Sheffield Brain Tissue Bank

• REC name

  Wales REC 5

• REC reference

  24/WA/0052

• Date of REC Opinion

  21 Feb 2024

• REC opinion

  Favourable Opinion

• Data collection arrangements

  The Sheffield Brain Tissue Bank collects brain, spinal cord and other tissues after death to support studies to improve our understanding of a variety of diseases of the brain and spinal cord, predominantly age-related diseases. These diseases include Motor Neurone Disease (MND), Parkinson’s disease and dementia. We hope this will help prolong life and reduce suffering from these devastating disorders.

  Patients and ‘neurologically healthy controls’ can consent whilst living to donate their tissues after death. If the patient lacks mental capacity, consent will be taken from a relative or nominated representative. Once potential donors have been identified, staff will liaise with the participant and their family. A Participant Information Sheet will be provided and communication will take place to ensure the potential participant is fully aware of what donation will involve. If a potential participant has expressed their wish to donate but has not consented whilst alive, for example, they were unaware this option was available or they didn’t have time/opportunity before passing away, the family are able to provide consent after their loved one’s death. Following death, the team liaises with the family to sensitively make the practical arrangements for tissue collection with minimal disruption to the family.

• Research programme

  Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience (SITraN) has a major programme of research into the causes and mechanisms behind these diseases. In addition to studying patients with disease, we compare our findings with patients with other diseases of the brain, and with patients who die of diseases unrelated to the brain. These comparisons enable us to distinguish changes in the brain that are specific to the disease and not simply a feature of normal ageing. It is our aim to understand the mechanisms of disease and healthy ageing in order to develop treatments for these conditions. SBTB collaborates with and shares tissues with scientists both in the UK and around the world. Most of these scientists are in Universities or other academic institutions. On some occasions we work or share tissue with commercial partners. SBTB makes a charge to scientific teams that use the tissue that it curates.

• Storage license

  12182

• RTBTitle

  Sheffield Brain Tissue Bank

• Establishment organisation

  University of Sheffield

• Establishment organisation address

  Western Bank

  Sheffield

  S10 2TQ