Ethical tissue: a not-for-profit model for human tissue supply

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Research
• Tissue Banking
• Regulatory Affairs

Background:

• Legislative changes in 2004 increased regulation for human tissue access in research.
• Establishing a licensed research tissue bank requires meeting stringent ethical, legal, financial, and logistical criteria.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the establishment of Ethical Tissue, a licensed research tissue bank.
• To highlight the process of ensuring ease of access for researchers while upholding high ethical and regulatory standards.

Main Methods:

• Establishing a licensed research tissue bank.
• Implementing processes to meet ethical, legal, financial, and logistical criteria.
• Collaborating with various stakeholders including the Human Tissue Authority and hospital trusts.

Main Results:

• Ethical Tissue was successfully established as a licensed research tissue bank.
• A framework was created to facilitate researcher access to human tissues.
• High ethical and regulatory standards were maintained throughout the process.

Conclusions:

• The establishment of Ethical Tissue demonstrates a successful model for providing regulated access to human tissues for research.
• Collaboration with stakeholders is crucial for the successful operation of research tissue banks.