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[Update on collaborative autopsy-based research in German pathology, neuropathology, and forensic medicine]
Saskia von Stillfried1, Benita Freeborn1, Svenja Windeck1
1Institut für Pathologie, Universitätsklinik RWTH Aachen, Pauwelsstr. 30, 52074, Aachen, Deutschland.
Background:
Autopsies are a valuable tool for understanding disease, including COVID-19.
Materials And Methods:
The German Registry of COVID-19 Autopsies (DeRegCOVID), established in April 2020, serves as the electronic backbone of the National Autopsy Network (NATON), launched in early 2022 following DEFEAT PANDEMIcs.
Results:
The NATON consortium's interconnected, collaborative autopsy research is enabled by an unprecedented collaboration of 138 individuals at more than 35 German university and non-university autopsy centers through which pathology, neuropathology, and forensic medicine autopsy data including data on biomaterials are collected in DeRegCOVID and tissue-based research and methods development are conducted. More than 145 publications have now emerged from participating autopsy centers, highlighting various basic science and clinical aspects of COVID-19, such as thromboembolic events, organ tropism, SARS-CoV‑2 detection methods, and infectivity of SARS-CoV-2 at autopsy.
Conclusions:
Participating centers have demonstrated the high value of autopsy and autopsy-derived data and biomaterials to modern medicine. The planned long-term continuation and further development of the registry and network, as well as the open and participatory design, will allow the involvement of all interested partners.
