Principles and practice of 'high risk' brain banking

Area of Science:

• Neuropathology and Infectious Diseases
• Central Nervous System (CNS) Tissue Banking

Background:

• Central nervous system (CNS) tissue banks are vital resources for current and future research, enabling the application of new investigative technologies.
• Storing tissues in various forms, including fixed and frozen samples, maximizes their research utility.
• Infectious CNS diseases present unique storage challenges due to the potential survival of infectious agents during long-term preservation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide practical guidelines for the optimal storage of tissues from patients with infectious CNS diseases.
• To ensure safety for researchers and pathologists handling high-risk samples.
• To offer guidance for pathologists who may occasionally or regularly retain frozen and other samples from such autopsies.

Main Methods:

• Development of safety-conscious, yet accessible, tissue storage guidelines for infectious CNS diseases.
• Detailed procedures for the acquisition, storage, and transfer of high-risk samples.
• Highlighting safety issues and protocols for accidental exposure response.

Main Results:

• Established guidelines for banking tissues from cases infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis viruses, and prions.
• Provided information on safe tissue handling and storage for neuropathologists.
• Emphasized the importance of safety protocols in managing infectious CNS tissue samples.

Conclusions:

• Optimal tissue storage practices are essential for maintaining the integrity of infectious CNS samples for research.
• Adherence to safety guidelines is paramount when handling tissues from patients with CNS infections.
• Accessible protocols can facilitate effective tissue banking even without sophisticated resources.