BRAIN UK: accessing NHS tissue archives for neuroscience research
BRAIN UK: accessing NHS tissue archives for neuroscience research
The purpose of BRAIN UK (the UK BRain Archive Information Network) is to make the very extensive and comprehensive National Health Service (NHS) Neuropathology archives available to the national and international neuroscience research community. The archives comprise samples of tumours and a wide range of other neurological disorders, not only from the brain but also spinal cord, peripheral nerve, muscle, eye and other organs when relevant. BRAIN UK was founded after the recognition of the importance of this large tissue resource, which was not previously readily accessible for research use. BRAIN UK has successfully engaged the majority of the regional clinical neuroscience centres in the United Kingdom to produce a centralised database of the extensive autopsy and biopsy archive. Together with a simple application process and its broad ethical approval, BRAIN UK offers researchers easy access to most of the national archives of neurological tissues and tumours (http://www.brain-uk.org). The range of tissues available reflects the spectrum of disease in society, including many conditions not covered by disease-specific brain banks, and also allows relatively large numbers of cases of uncommon conditions to be studied. BRAIN UK has supported 141 studies (2010–2020) that have generated 70 publications employing methodology as diverse as morphometrics, genetics, proteomics and methylomics. Tissue samples that would otherwise have been unused have supported valuable neuroscience research. The importance of this unique resource will only increase as molecular techniques applicable to human tissues continue to develop and technical advances permit large-scale high-throughput studies.
Human brain, National Health Service, Neuropathology, Neuroscience, brain bank
e12766
Nicoll, James
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Bloom, Tabitha
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Clarke, Amelia
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Boche, Delphine
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Hilton, David
34a938f3-0444-403f-b1c3-820edbfd5298
1 February 2022
Nicoll, James
88c0685f-000e-4eb7-8f72-f36b4985e8ed
Bloom, Tabitha
e2ea5b2f-ca7a-4105-a000-3b49d580e203
Clarke, Amelia
994697ed-30da-4605-a091-86372a03cc69
Boche, Delphine
bdcca10e-6302-4dd0-919f-67218f7e0d61
Hilton, David
34a938f3-0444-403f-b1c3-820edbfd5298
Nicoll, James, Bloom, Tabitha, Clarke, Amelia, Boche, Delphine and Hilton, David
(2022)
BRAIN UK: accessing NHS tissue archives for neuroscience research.
Neuropathology and Applied Neurobiology, 48 (2), , [e12766].
(doi:10.1111/nan.12766).
Abstract
The purpose of BRAIN UK (the UK BRain Archive Information Network) is to make the very extensive and comprehensive National Health Service (NHS) Neuropathology archives available to the national and international neuroscience research community. The archives comprise samples of tumours and a wide range of other neurological disorders, not only from the brain but also spinal cord, peripheral nerve, muscle, eye and other organs when relevant. BRAIN UK was founded after the recognition of the importance of this large tissue resource, which was not previously readily accessible for research use. BRAIN UK has successfully engaged the majority of the regional clinical neuroscience centres in the United Kingdom to produce a centralised database of the extensive autopsy and biopsy archive. Together with a simple application process and its broad ethical approval, BRAIN UK offers researchers easy access to most of the national archives of neurological tissues and tumours (http://www.brain-uk.org). The range of tissues available reflects the spectrum of disease in society, including many conditions not covered by disease-specific brain banks, and also allows relatively large numbers of cases of uncommon conditions to be studied. BRAIN UK has supported 141 studies (2010–2020) that have generated 70 publications employing methodology as diverse as morphometrics, genetics, proteomics and methylomics. Tissue samples that would otherwise have been unused have supported valuable neuroscience research. The importance of this unique resource will only increase as molecular techniques applicable to human tissues continue to develop and technical advances permit large-scale high-throughput studies.
Text
J Nicoll BRAIN UK accessing NHS tissue archives for neuroscience research August 2021
- Accepted Manuscript
Text
nan.12766
- Version of Record
More information
Accepted/In Press date: 14 September 2021
e-pub ahead of print date: 15 September 2021
Published date: 1 February 2022
Additional Information:
© 2021 The Authors. Neuropathology and Applied Neurobiology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of British Neuropathological Society.
Keywords:
Human brain, National Health Service, Neuropathology, Neuroscience, brain bank
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 451579
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/451579
ISSN: 0305-1846
PURE UUID: 6c44a143-64d3-4c68-9351-4514658cba4a
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Date deposited: 12 Oct 2021 16:33
Last modified: 17 Mar 2024 02:55
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Author:
Tabitha Bloom
Author:
Amelia Clarke
Author:
David Hilton
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