Tuesday, 11 February 2014

Are Human Tissue Banks Necessary?

The Human Tissues Act regulates the use of human tissue and its transfer. Such projects require approval by the Department of Histopathology who are accountable for maintaining the site’s human tissue bank. Outside transfer of human tissues to third parties are required to have a tissue transfer agreement.

What is Human Tissue?

Any human biological specimen or derivative obtained from a living or dead individual that is adequate in type and quantity to allow an analysis of its physical or biochemical properties. This includes molecules resultant from tissues (DNA, RNA, proteins, etc), cell cultures, cells, solid tissues, and body fluids, linked data and information. 

What is a Tissue Bank?
Tissue banks gather, stock, and allocate human biological specimens for research purposes. Tissue banks activities include three elements:
•    The collection of samples and data
•    The storage and data management center
•    The re-disclosure of tissue

Who uses Human Tissue Banks?

Researchers laboring to comprehend and develop new therapies for a broad range of diseases such as cancer, arthritis, heart disease, and diabetes depend on donated tissue for their studies from tissue banks. Advancement in the treatment of widespread and rare diseases depends on having access to both normal and diseased human tissues. However, these donated tissues are frequently in short supply. 

The human tissue bank is in an exceptional position to advance such research, which may eventually benefit the lives of millions of people. Many human tissues unsuitable for transplant can be donated for research, giving people the opportunity to advance medical science and add to the progress for new treatments and cures.   

Non-qualifying donors can frequently donate tissues for research as well. The research donation usually takes place after recovery of tissues for transplantation, so there is no interference with standard recovery procedures. 

Human Tissue Bank Management

Many tissue banks work wholly with a particular organization to manage their tissues for research programs. These organizations are usually non-profit and are the intermediary that transfers donated tissue to appropriate research centers and institutions involved in critical medical and scientific research.

Though there is considerable need for centralized, data-linked human tissue banks, such partnerships bring to mind intriguing ethical, monetary, and legal questions. Key among these are issues of privacy, the commodification of body parts, and if there is any financial or ethical duty to compensate the tissue donors for contributing the raw material for research and development. 

Human tissue banking and joint academic and industrial ventures are not something new; however, consciousness of some of the lawful, fiscal, and moral implications involved is.      

Undoubtedly, human tissue banks such as ILSbio and others are needed to facilitate therapeutic development, diagnosis, and additional research. The capacity to relate the molecular findings of various projects to clinically relevant material and data rely on ventures involving numerous academic centers. The bioethical queries and repercussions of these partnerships; however, continue to be in question.

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